Report predicts increased rice & maize production for Kharif 2024

New Delhi: The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW), under the leadership of Advisor (AS & DA) Ruchika Gupta, hosted a second round of stakeholder consultations at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. 

This consultation focused on assessing the production outlook for critical crops like cereals, oilseeds, cotton, and sugarcane, ahead of the much-anticipated release of the first advance estimates for the Kharif season, scheduled for October 2024.

Stakeholders, during this round of discussions, provided early insights into the promising production of key crops, particularly rice and maize, citing favorable conditions for both. However, concerns were raised over the reduced acreage of cotton this season, with participants attributing this decline to an increasing shift towards crop diversification among farmers. The consultations were marked by expert evaluations on crop conditions, ground-level reports, and the estimation methodologies used to determine these early projections.

Moreover, the meeting underscored the significance of continued collaboration between the ministry and industry experts; participants were unanimous in their call for consistent information sharing, which would enhance the accuracy of crop forecasts and overall agricultural planning. This consultation is a major step forward in the drive to bring more precision to crop production predictions, marking a deeper engagement between the government and key agricultural bodies.

The meeting included prominent participants such as CRISIL Research, Agriwatch, and representatives from the Indian Pulses and Grain Association (IPGA), the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), the Indian Oilseed and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC), ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseed Research (IIOR), Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD) and Department of Consumer Affairs (DOCA).