Banking on the forecast of a normal monsoon, the Ministry of Agriculture has set a target to increase foodgrain production to a record 283.7 million tonnes in 2018-19. That would be a 6 million tonne increase from the second advance estimates of 277.5 million tonnes in 2017-18.
“The Indian Meteorological Department forecast of a normal monsoon is a good signal for production of the upcoming kharif crop,” Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said at the National Conference on Agriculture for Kharif Campaign here on Wednesday.
The normal monsoon of the last two years had led to record production of foodgrain. The challenge was to ensure that farmers incomes also rose, said Mr. Singh, reiterating the government’s Budget 2018-19 promise to set minimum support prices at 50% higher than the cost of production. There was a special focus on millets, which were being branded as nutri-cereals, this year, said Agriculture Commissioner S.K. Malhotra.
