Shortage despite record food production

Despite record foodgrain production this year owing to increased cultivation of wheat and rice, lopsided crop cultivation has lead to decline in pulse and oil seed production.

The statistics of estimated foodgrain production indicates an acute shortage of pulses this year, which is likely to send their prices skyward in the market.

Besides pulses and oil seeds, figures of estimated production released on Friday by the Agriculture Ministry also indicate decline in coarse grains.

Despite the Ministry’s efforts to achieve self reliance, the record production of pulse achieved last year could not be sustained.

According to the Ministry’s estimate, total foodgrain production would be about 250.42 million tonnes. The production will well exceed the target of 245 million tonnes the Ministry has set for 2011-12. This is also 18.35 million tonnes higher than previous year’s (2010-11) production of 232 .07 million tonnes.

The production of rice, estimated to be 102.75 million times, is an all-time record. The production of wheat estimated at 88.31 million tonnes is also a record. However, the production of pulses estimated at 17.28 million for this year is lower than the 18.24 million tonnes of last year.

The estimated production of oilseeds at 30.53 million tonnes also shows a steep decline. Last year, the production was 32.48 million tonnes.

The production of coarse cereals estimated at 42.08  also shows a significant decline, from last year’s  43.68 million tonnes.

One of the main reasons for the decline in pulse production was the fact that oil seeds and coarse grains have been losing acreage to competing crops, compounded by change in weather conditions. The production of pulses stood at an all-time high of 18.09 million tonnes last year but could not be sustained in 2011-12.

India, the largest producer and consumer of pulses, is now facing shortage. According to the government data,  the availability of pulses has gone down about 52 per cent to just 31.6 grams per day against 65.5 gram per day in 1960. It forced the country to import pulses to meet the domestic needs.

Sugarcane and Cotton, both important commercial crops, have been estimated to increase their production.