Grain production target set 4% higher at 354 MT

Agri GVA growth may be strong for second year in a row

- SANDIP DAS

GIVEN THE FORECAST of "above normal" monsoon, the government has set a record target of 354.64 million tonne (MT) for foodgrain production in the 2025-26 crop year (July-June).

This is an increase of 4% from the target for the current (2024-25) crop year, which itself is an all-time high, a senior agriculture ministry official said on Thursday.

Of the estimated total foodgrain production in the next crop year, the forthcoming kharif season is likely to contribute 168.88 MT. Foodgrains include wheat, rice and coarse cereals, and pulses. Rice and wheat outputs in the next crop year are projected at 147 MT and 117 MT, respectively, implying annual increases of 8% and 2%.

Though higher foodgrain production increases the chances of another year of high growth in agriculture, the gross value added (GVA) in this primary sector of the economy is also a function of prices fetched by farmers and other stakeholders.