News:
- India is expected to harvest record production of pulses,oilseeds and coarse cereals in this year’s kharif season because of higher acreage under these crops so far despite the prediction of a deficient monsoon.
- Around 25 states and union territories (UTs) have put in place stock limits on pulses, onions and potatoes to prevent their prices from spiraling.
- The agency is basing its optimism on the higher sowing of kharif foodgrain this year, which led to an increased acreage under pulses and higher reservoir levels than in FY15.
- Kharif grains represent 49.6 per cent of the total food grain output in the country and the sowing of this crop was 63 per cent higher by mid-July this year over the same period last year, when monsoon was poor.
- Sowing of key crops like rice, pulses and oil seeds is higher than last year. Paddy sowing is 4.4 per cent higher so far, but is 11.4 per cent lower than normal sowing.
- For kharif oil seeds, the probability of higher production is also brightened due to a 44.7 per cent rise in acreage from normal acreage.
Source: BS