India set to witness record crop size for 2020-2021 marketing season

India’s second advance estimates of production of major crops for the 2020 21 marketing season clearly indicate a record production of 303.34 million tonnes of food grains. Thanks to the meticulous efforts from the farmers, research by agricultural scientists, and farming oriented policies of the Central Government, we could reach this impressive number. 

Revival of monsoons during the third quarter of 2020 also favored the planting operations and the crop yield growth. The cumulative rainfall during this year’s southwest monsoon season up to 30^th September, 2020 has been 9% higher than Long Period Average (LPA). Therefore most of the major crops producing states could receive a normal rainfall. Government’s second advance estimates show that the production of most of the crops for the agricultural year 2020-21 is above their normal production. Country’s estimated production of 303.34 million tonnes, remains above last year’s production by 5.84 million tonnes. Production in 2019-2020 stood at 297.50 million tonnes. The 2020-21 estimates also remains above the 2015-16 to 2019-20 average food grain production by 24.47 million tonnes.  

India is expected to produce Rice at record 120.32 million tonnes during 2020-21, which is higher by 7.88 million tonnes than the last five years’ average production of 112.44 million tonnes. Likewise wheat production is estimated at record 109.24 million tonnes, above the nation’s average wheat production of 100.42 million tonnes. Coarse Cereal production is estimated at 49.36 million tonnes, higher by 1.62 million tonnes than the production of 47.75 million tonnes achieved during 2019-20. If we refer to the average production, the figure remains higher by 5.35 million tonnes. Total Pulses production during 2020-21 is estimated at 24.42 million tonnes which is higher by 2.43 million tonnes than the last five years’ average production of 21.99 million tonnes. 

India’s estimate oilseeds production number during 2020-21 is higher by 6.77 million tonnes than the average oilseeds production. The total Oilseeds production in the country during 2020-21 is estimated at record 37.31 million tonnes, higher by 4.09 million tonnes than the production of 33.22 million tonnes during 2019-20. Meanwhile the total Sugarcane production in the country for the same period is estimated at 397.66 million tonnes, which is above the average sugarcane production of 362.07 million tonnes. Cotton production is estimated at 36.54 million bales (of 170 kg each) is higher by 4.65 million bales than the average cotton production. Production of Jute & Mesta is estimated to be 9.78 million bales (of 180 kg each).   

Snapshot of the 2^nd Advance Estimates of major crops during 2020-21 is given below:  

• Food grains –  303.34million tonnes  

• Rice  –  32  milliontonnes.  

• Wheat  –  24  milliontonnes.  

• Nutri / Coarse Cereals –  49.36million tonnes. 

• Maize  –16 million tonnes. 

• Pulses –  24.42million tonnes. 

• Tur  –88 million tonnes.

• Gram – 11.62 million tonnes. 

• Oilseeds  –31 million tonnes.

• Groundnut  –15 million tonnes 

• Soyabean  –71 million tonnes

• Rapeseed and Mustard – 10.43 million tonnes 

• Sugarcane – 397.66 million tonnes

• Cotton  –54 million bales (of 170 kg each)

• Jute  &Mesta – 9.78 million bales (of 180 kg each)