Pune: The production of wheat in India has increased by about 1000 percent since last 6 decades. This is the record production since the Green Revolution of 1960. India ranks second in the world in wheat production. The total wheat production of the country is second in the total production of wheat at the rate of 1960. In 2021-22 itself, India has exported a record 7 million tonnes of food grains.
Talking about the total yield of food grains in the country, India’s yield per hectare has increased three times since the 1960s. The production of food grains per hectare increased from 757 kg in the mid-1960s to 2.39 tonnes in 2021. It has been said by the Center that the ‘Green Revolution’ made India self-sufficient in food production and increased agricultural productivity.
Meanwhile, according to the information released by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on August 17, the total foodgrain production in India is estimated to be a record 315.72 million tonnes during the 2021-22 season. According to the fourth advance estimate of major agricultural production, there is an increase of 4.98 million tonnes over harvesting during 2020-21.
Production in 2021-22 is estimated to be 25 million tonnes more than the average production of the last five years (2016-17 to 2020-21). Among crops, record harvests are expected for rice, maize, gram, pulses, rapeseed and mustard, oilseeds and sugarcane. Wheat production is estimated to be 106.84 million tonnes during 2021-22. This is higher by 2.96 million tonnes than the average wheat production of 103.88 million tonnes in the last five years.
Impact of slow monsoon on paddy cultivation
As per the latest data available, the major kharif crop paddy cultivation has been reduced by 8 per cent to 343.7 lakh hectares as compared to the previous season. Farmers sow less paddy this Kharif season. Kharif crops are mostly sown during monsoon-June and July and the produce is harvested during October and November. The main reason for the decline in sowing could be the slow pace of monsoon in the month of June and its uneven spread in July over most parts of the country. There is concern that the production of food grains in less area under paddy cultivation so far this kharif may be low. However, overall Kharif sowing has been relatively better.