Posted in agriculture, economics

Oilseeds and Commercial Crop Production in India – Kharif 2021-22

Dr Debesh Roy, Chairman, InsPIRE

The estimated production of oilseeds is set to decline by -1.4% to 233.9 lakh tonnes (LT) in Kharif 2021-22, from 240.3 LT in 2020-21, due to a decline in acreage by -1.3% (Table 1 and Chart 1). The five-year CAGR of oilseeds production is estimated to be 3.7%. India’s demand for oilseeds is mostly met through imports. Therefore, Government of India’s decision to launch the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, is expected to significantly increase acreage and output of oilseeds in the country.

Among major oilseeds, groundnut and soyabean are expected to experience decline in output in kharif 2021-22. Groundnut output is estimated to decline by -3.5% to 82.5 LT, due to -3.6% decline in area under cultivation (Table 1 and Chart 1). The five-year CAGR of groundnut production is estimated to be 6.5%. It is estimated that soyabean production would decline by -1.4% to 127.2 LT, although there has been a marginal increase of 0.5% in acreage. Soyabean output would grow at a five-year CAGR of 2.8%.

Commercial crops like sugarcane and cotton are expected to perform better than the previous year. Sugarcane production is estimated to grow at  5% over the previous year to set a record of 4192.5 LT, on account of 1.6% increase in acreage. The output of cotton is expected to increase by 4.4% to 362.2 lakh bales, although there has been a significant decline of -5.8% in the area under cultivation, signifying an improvement in productivity. Finally, the output of Jute and Mesta is expected to decline by -1.1% to 96.1 lakh bales, although there has been an increase of 1% in acreage (Table 1 and Chart 1).

Source: First Advance Estimates of Production of Foodgrains for 2021-22, Ministry of Agriculture
and Farmers’ Welfare, GoI, and calculations by InsPIRE.
Source: Prepared by InsPIRE, based on data accessed from First Advance Estimates of Production of Foodgrains for 2021-22, and Progress Report of Kharif Area Coverage as on 17/09/2021, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, GoI.
Posted in agriculture, economics

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).

Source: First Advance Estimates of Production of Foodgrains for 2021-22, Ministry of Agriculture
and Farmers’ Welfare, GoI, and calculations by InsPIRE.
Source: Prepared by InsPIRE, based on data accessed from First Advance Estimates of Production of Foodgrains for 2021-22, and Progress Report of Kharif Area Coverage as on 17/09/2021, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, GoI.