November 4, 2009

India grain output may be reduced 14 million tonnes

This year's erratic monsoon, and floods in some parts of India may have lowered the country's grain production by 14-15 million tonnes, said Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

But matters may have a turn around, as the minister said he is still waiting for a hard assessment of the sub-normal southwest monsoon and the impact of floods.

India produced 233.87 million tonnes of grain in 2008-09, but the failure of monsoon of which 60 percent of India's agriculture is dependent on, casts a long shadow on this year's crop.