By IANS,
New Delhi : India has enough foodgrain needed for the buffer stock and there is no need for alarm, said Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas Thursday.
“As of now, no alarming situation,” Thomas told IANS, a day after the agriculture ministry’s advance estimate for 2009-10 revealed that the country’s overall foodgrain production could fall nearly seven percent to 218.19 million tonnes.
In 2008-09, it was 234.47 million tonnes.
Agriculture Ministry officials said the fall in production was due to the poor and erratic monsoon and drought during last year’s kharif season.
“The loss in the kharif season will definitely be compensated by the bumper crop in the new season,” said an official source in the ministry.
The country is poised for a bumper wheat output and it is estimated that the yield would be 80.98 million tonnes, more than the previous year’s 80.68 million tonnes.