21 September 2020, New Delhi: Addressing the National Conference for Rabi Campaign 2020 held today under the Chairmanship of Union Agriculture Minister, Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar to review the progress of Kharif 2020-21 and plan for the Rabi season.
The conference set a target of 301 million tonnes of food grains production for 2020-21 which includes 119.60, 108.00, 5.00, 9.57, 29.00 and 47.80 million tonnes of rice, wheat, Jowar, bajra, maize and coarse cereals, respectively. More emphasis will be laid on production of pulses and oilseeds and targets have been set at 25.60 million tonnes for pulses and 37.00 million tonnes for oilseeds. To reduce import of edible oils, great emphasis is being laid on production of oilseeds and oil palm plantation indigenously. This Rabi Focus is on Mustard under oilseeds and the target for production of mustard alone has been raised from 92 to 125 lakh tonnes.
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar has congratulated farmers and state governments for record food grain production of 296.65 million tonnes in 2019-20 under unfavourable conditions imposed by Covid-19. The pulses and oilseed production is expected to be at 23.15 and 33.42 million tonnes, respectively. Production of cotton is being estimated at 354.91 lakh bales with which India is set to rise to the first position in the world.
This year has established a milestone in the history of Indian agriculture. Kharif sowing during this year up to 11-09-2020 has been 1113 lakh hectares which is 46 lakh hectares more than normal sowing area. This provides good opportunity for ensuring food and nutritional security of the country. Shri Tomar said that the farming community and State Governments deserve special appreciation for this commendable achievement.
India has three major growing seasons; kharif, rabi and summer, for cultivating large number of cereal, pulse, oilseed and cash crops. Rabi is important cropping season contributing to more than half of crop productions. National conferences are held before every season to take stock of the preparedness and ensure timely availability of seed, fertilizers and other inputs. This time good rainfall has occurred and water reservoirs are full which offers good opportunity.
