India records highest ever foodgrains, fruits production
TCN Service/New Delhi
India has recorded highest ever foodgrains (315 million MT) and fruits (342 million MT) production in 2022 which is a new milestone for the country’s agriculture and horticulture sectors.
The data was released by Indian Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Monday as part of its year ender report for the 2022.
Indian government spokesperson said the country’s foodgrains production has increased from 308.65 million tonnes in January 2022 to 315.72 million tonnes in December 2022 (as per 4th advance estimates).
This is the highest ever foodgrains production recorded in the country.
Apart from this, the horticulture production during 2020-21 was 331.05 million MT which as per third advanced estimates, has increased to 342.33 million MT during 2021-22. It is the highest ever production for Indian horticulture, he added.
He stated that the budget allocation for the Ministry been increased to Rs. 1,24,000 crore in 2022-23. Indian government has increased MSP for all mandated Kharif, Rabi and other commercial crops with a return of at least 50 percent over all India weighted average cost of production from 2018-19.
In addition, National Mission for Edible Oils, especially Oil Palm has been approved with a total outlay of Rs 11,040 crore. This will bring an additional area of 6.5 lakh ha under Oil Palm plantation with 3.28 lakh ha in the north-eastern states and 3.22 in the rest of India in the next 5 years.
The major focus of the Mission is to provide Viability Prices of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) to the farmers linked with assured procurement by industry with a simpler price fixing formula. The Central government will compensate farmers through a viability gap payment if price paid by industry is below the viability price upto October, 2037, he added.
