The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
NEW DELHI, SEPT 09, 2022
India’s rice production could fall by 10-12 million tonnes during the Kharif season this year due to a fall in paddy sowing area, the government said on Friday.
At a press conference to explain rationale behind the imposition of ban on exports of broken rice, Union Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey pointed out that the paddy acreage is lower by 38 lakh hectare so far this Kharif season because of less rains in many states.
The Kharif season contributes about 80 per cent of India’s total rice production.
“Loss of production of rice may be 10 million tonnes and in the worst case it can be 12 million tonnes this year,” he said.
India’s total rice production during 2021-22 crop year (July-June) is estimated at a record 130.29 million tonnes as against 124.37 million tonnes in the previous year.
Out of total rice production in 2021-22, 111.76 million tonnes were in Kharif season and 18.53 million tonnes in Rabi (winter-sown) season.
Pandey, however, said that this is an initial estimate based on drop in paddy acreage in Kharif (summer-sown) and average yield and actual fall in production could be less as yield might improve in states where rains have been good.
As per the presentation made by Pandey, paddy sowing is lower by 25 lakh hectares in four states, which have witnessed deficient rains. The production could be less by 7-8 million tonnes in these four states. In other states, paddy sowing has come down due to diversification to other crops.
