MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)
(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. Government of India has set targets for agricultural production including foodgrains for the year 2014-15, which are as follows:
Crop Production Target (in million tonnes) Total foodgrains 261.00 Rice 106.00 Wheat 94.00 Pulses 19.50 Coarse Cereals 41.50 Oilseeds 33.00 Sugarcane 345.00 Cotton 35.00 Jute & Mesta 11.20 (in million bales of 170 kg each for Cotton) (in million bales of 180 kg each for Jute & Mesta)
Government of India is implementing various crop development programmes/ schemes through State Governments such as National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) etc. to meet the targets for agricultural production, including foodgrains. Under these programmes, assistance is provided for activities like demonstrations of improved technologies, distribution of improved seed / planting material, need based plant protection and soil amendments, resource conservation techniques/ energy management, efficient water application tools, protected cultivation, farmers` trainings, etc. for enhancing production and productivity of agricultural production in the country.
(c) & (d): Government of India estimates foodgrains production every year, starting September. However, as the sowing window of Kharif crops is up to 1st week of August, it is too early to estimate shortfall in production of foodgrains in current year.
(e): To check shortfall in the production of foodgrains in view of deficient rainfall in many parts of the country in the current monsoon/Kharif season, States have prepared district-wise Crop Contingency Plans in consultation with Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), State Agricultural Universities and Institutes of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). They have also been asked to ensure availability of seeds of shorter duration, drought tolerant varieties and alternate crops, availability of fertilizers, power supply and other critical inputs in time.
Farmers are also being regularly advised to adopt techniques such as in-situ moisture conservation & on-farm water harvesting through farm ponds, etc., ridge-furrow, broad bed furrow, promoting agronomic practices like mulching, timely weed management, zero tillage practices including direct seeded rice through seed drills/drum seeder, use of short duration and drought resistant varieties of paddy like Sahabhagi Dhan, inter- cropping & mixed cropping with pulses/oilseeds/coarse cereals, spray of drought mitigating chemicals like thio-urea, KCL, KNO3 and hydrogel, etc. States have also been advised to raise community nurseries of paddy and arrange seeds of contingent crops like coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fodder etc. Government is reviewing the situation with States regularly.
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