India’s rice production could fall by 10-12 million tonnes during the Kharif season of this year, due to a fall in paddy sowing area, the government said on Friday.<\/p>\n
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Photograph: Anuwar Hazarika\/Reuters<\/span><\/p>\n However, food secretary Sudhanshu Pandey asserted that the country will have surplus production in rice.<\/p>\n He pointed out that the paddy acreage is lower by 38 lakh hectare so far this kharif season, because of less rains in many states.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Kharif season contributes about 80 per cent of India’s total rice production.<\/p>\n “Loss of production of rice may be 10 million tonnes and in the worst case it can be 12 million tonnes this year,” he told reporters in New Delhi.<\/p>\n However, the secretary said that this is an initial estimate based on drop in acreage and average yield.<\/p>\n Pandey said the fall in production could be less as yield might improve in states where rains have been good.<\/p>\n Total production of Rice during the 2021-22 crop year (July-June) is estimated at a record 130.29 million tonnes.<\/p>\n It is higher by 13.85 million tonnes than the last five years’ average production of 116.44 million tonnes.<\/p>\n The secretary did not reply to a question on whether the government would extend the free foodgrains programme Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n[ad_2]\n<\/p>\n News From This Website <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"