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Wheat production estimates up

Special Correspondent

Plan to raise subsidy on pulses seeds as an incentive to farmers

NEW DELHI: The Centre has revised upward its wheat output estimates for rabi this year to 73.70 million tonnes from 72.5 million tonnes expected earlier in the season. This 4.35 million tonnes higher output than last year's production of 69.35 million tonnes is attributed to improved weather conditions, timely sowing and a larger cultivated area under wheat.

This has made good the 30 to 40 per cent damage to the standing crop over 1.8 lakh hectares in parts of Punjab and Haryana due to hail and bad weather last month.

Announcing this at the end of a two-day National Conference on Agriculture for Kharif Campaign 2007-08, Union Agriculture Secretary P.K. Mishra said the total food grain output was expected to be 211.78 million tonnes this year as against 208.60 million tonnes last year. The Conference set the tentative food grain target for next year at 220 million tonnes.

Expressing concern at the stagnation in production of pulses, Mr. Mishra said the Conference recommended that the 25 per cent subsidy on pulses seeds be raised to 50 per cent as an incentive to farmers. . Steps would be taken to enhance the area under pulses by two million hectares for 1.2 million tonnes higher output.

The third estimates of food grains this year have shown a sharp drop in the production of oilseeds, particularly groundnut (minus 37.7 per cent) and rapeseed and mustard (minus 17.7 per cent). There has been a shortfall in the production of coarse cereals, maize and tur dal over last year.

Mr. Mishra said that to achieve a growth rate of 4.1 in the agriculture sector, the Conference identified five major areas of focus.

The Conference, attended by State Agriculture Secretaries and farm scientists, had a surprise visitor in Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar who put in an appearance to personally hear what the State representatives had to say about the wheat prospects and kharif strategy.

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