India produced 85.93 million tonnes (mt) of wheat and 18.09 mt of pulses - all-time records - during 2010-11 crop year, helped by
higher support price to farmers and good monsoon.
With wheat and pulses output touching record levels, the total foodgrain production also set fresh record of 241.56 mt against 218.11 MT in 2009-10 crop year (July-June).
According to the fourth advance estimate released here today, an all-time high production has been achieved in seven crops - wheat (85.93MT), maize (21.28 MT), soyabean (12.66 MT), gram (8.25 MT), moong (1.82MT), urad (1.74 MT) and cotton (33.43 million bales) - in 2010-11 crop year.
"A record foodgrain production of 241.56 MT has been achieved due to sustained efforts to increase credit, minimum support price, better supply of seeds and fertiliser, and higher investment," Agriculture Secretary PK Basu said.
The bumper production, however, brings its own set of problems as the country is already grappling with the issue of adequate storage capacity. Last week, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had said that "my real worry is storage".
When asked if higher foodgrain output could ease inflationary pressures, Basu said: "Inflation is not coming from grains."
Food inflation stood high at 8.38 per cent in June.
He also said that the record pulses production is expected to reduce the country's dependence on imports and check domestic prices. India imports 3-4 mt pulses annually to meet its demand.
Out of 241.56 mt foodgrain production, rice output has risen to 95.32 mt in 2010-11 from 89.09 mt in the previous year, wheat jumped to 85.93 mt from 80.80 mt, coarse cereals to 42.22 mt from 33.55 mt and pulses to 18.09 mt from 14.66 mt.
Oilseeds production has risen to 31.10 mt from 24.88 mt in the reviewed period.
Among cash crops, cotton and sugarcane production has slightly come down from the third estimate to 33.43 million bales (of 170 kg) and 339.17 million tonnes, respectively, in 2010-11 crop year, as against 24.22 million bales and 292.3 million tonnes each in 2009-10.
While hoping for much better growth in agriculture sector in the 2011-12, Basu said that foodgrain production target of 245 MT for the current year is reasonable and achievable if Indian farmers do a good job and if monsoon stays favourable.
At present, the country is receiving normal rains and there is no deficiency, he added.
Special 
