The production of wheat and rice is likely to be as good as at last year’s level on increased rain by the end of the monsoon season, Food Minister K V Thomas said.

“I had discussion with the agriculture minister and we are expecting the production of rice and wheat to be at last year’s level following an improvement in rainfall towards the end of the monsoon,” Thomas told reporters on the sidelines of annual general meeting of Solvent Extractors’ Association of India.

The country had produced 104.32 million tonnes of rice and 93.9 million tonnes of wheat last year.

Talking about oilseed production, the minister said the government was taking various initiatives to increase production of oilseeds and to enhance oil palm cultivation in the country though the production this year is likely to be on the lower side.

“The Agriculture Ministry has prepared an extensive programme in the 12th Five Year Plan to increase oilseed production and enhance oil palm cultivation.”

“It would increase the yield from 1,000 kg per hectare now to 1,431 per kg, which will result in increased production of oil seeds from 30 million tonnes to about 38 million tonne by 2017,” he said.

Agriculture is largely dependent on the monsoons and most of the oilseed producing states in the country are rain-fed areas, he said, adding that a 20 per cent deficit in the monsoons has resulted in a drop in oilseed production.

“As per the 4th advance estimates by the Agriculture Ministry and Cooperation, the oilseed production for 2011-12 is 300.12 lakh tonnes compared to 342.79 lakh tonnes in the previous year.”

“The production of oils from these oilseeds is likely to be 71.25 lakh tonne compared to 76.27 lakh tonne in the previous year indicating a decrease of about 6.6 per cent,” he said.

Meanwhile, as per the First Advance Estimates of the Agriculture Ministry, the country’s foodgrains production is estimated to fall by 10 per cent in the kharif season this year to 117.19 million tonnes due to deficient monsoon and drought in some states.

Foodgrains production is pegged at 117.19 million tonnes, with rice output being projected at 85.56 million tonnes, sources said. Kharif sowing, started in June, is almost complete and harvest will start from early next month.