New Milestone of 150.5 MT Kharif 2021-22 : Estimated Foodgrain Output  

Dr Debesh Roy, Chairman, InsPIRE

India’s foodgrain production for the kharif season 2021-22 is estimated to reach a record 150.5 million tonnes (0.6% increase over 2020-21, albeit a decline in acreage of -0.1%), while growing at a five-year CAGR of 2% (Table 1 and Chart 1). This was mainly on account of increased area under cultivation of rice and pulses (mainly tur or arhar). The estimated increase in acreage under these crops was facilitated by a surge in monsoon rains in September 2021.

The output of kharif rice is estimated to touch a record 107 million tonnes (MT), registering a growth of 2.5% over the previous year (Table 1). However, the area under cultivation of rice has increased marginally by 0.2% over 2020-21 (Chart 1), signifying efficiency gains in the cultivation of the crop. During the last five years, the production of kharif rice has grown at a CAGR of 2.2% (Table 1). Maize, with an estimated output of 21.2 MT, has experienced -0.9% annual change in production, against a 1.6% increase in area, signifying a decline in yield. The five-year CAGR of maize output stood at 2.1%. Nutri/ coarse cereals as a whole have witnessed significant decline in the estimated output by  -6.7% and acreage by -2.3%.

While the estimated output of tur (4.4 MT) increased  by 3.5%, acreage increased by 3.8%. The production during the last five years increased by an impressive CAGR of 3.2%. The estimated output of pulses as a whole (9.5MT), increased significantly by 8.7% over the previous year, while the acreage had increased by 2.1% (Chart 1), indicating an increase in yield, The five-year CAGR of pulses stood at 1% (Table 1).