July 20, 2011

India produces record grains output in 2010-11

India notched a record grain output in the crop year ending June, helped by last year's well distributed monsoon rains, a top farm ministry official said on Tuesday (Jul 19), who also predicted a record harvest for the second straight year in 2011-12.

Bumper crops have resulted in overflowing warehouses in India, the world's second-biggest rice and wheat producer, and some grains are stored under tarpaulin, exposing the stocks to decay in the country with an estimated 450 million people living below poverty.

The country is set to add 6.5 million tonnes of storage space by the end of this financial year.