The food grain production in the 2010-11 crop year is likely to surpass the previous high of 234.47 million tonnes. This is mainly due to an increase in the acreage under cultivation in the ongoing Rabi season. Official sources said that a projected decline of about 4 million tonnes in rice production in the 2010-11 crop year vis-à-vis 2008-09 levels would be largely compensated by an expected surge in pulses production by 2 million tonnes, coupled with an over 1-million tonne surge in wheat output this year. Sources said that the government would easily achieve the target for record production of 82 million tonnes of wheat and 16.5 million tonnes of pulses in the ongoing crop year.

With regard to pulses, official data says that the area under cultivation is also higher and production is likely to touch a record 16.5 million tonnes this crop year, although trade is estimating that production will be 17 million tonnes. The higher production of pulses would reduce the country’s dependence on imports to meet domestic demand. The country imports about 3.5 million tonnes every year to meet the annual domestic demand of 18-19 million tonnes.