March 24, 2009
India 2008-09 grain output likely 229 million tonnes
India's foodgrain output in the year to June may rise to 229 million metric tonnes from an earlier estimate of 227.9 million tonnes, the country's agriculture commissioner said Monday (March 23).
"The field reports show that the crops are doing very good," N.B. Singh told Dow Jones Newswires.
Still, output is likely to be marginally lower than last year's 231 million tonnes, he said.
He said the country's wheat output is likely to be 78 million tonnes, tad up from the government's second crop estimate of 77.78 million tonnes released in February.
"We will have a very good (wheat) production this year. There have been reports of higher output in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal," Singh said.
Wheat production is likely to be slightly lower in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab, he added.
Output in Haryana, Uttaranchal and Uttarakhand is likely to be around the same as last year, he said.
