Central government India on Saturday said it is confident of record food grain production in the Rabi season 2024-25 despite the delay in the arrival of fertilizer consignments. The reason for this expectation was said to be favorable soil moisture conditions and adequate water level in the reservoirs. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while addressing a national conference, said there is adequate availability of key fertilizers like urea and di ammonium phosphate (DAP) despite delays in import consignments due to geopolitical tensions. Chauhan said, “The import consignment is getting delayed. However, there is no shortage of fertilizers. We have made arrangements and have adequate supplies for the Rabi season.
Sowing of Rabi crops started
The ministry has set a target of food grain production at 164.55 lakh tonnes for the Rabi season 2024-25, which includes 115 lakh tonnes of wheat and 18.15 lakh tonnes of pulses. Sowing of Rabi (winter) crops has started and will pick up pace after Diwali. Fertilizer Secretary Rajat Kumar Mishra said India is rerouting DAP shipments from Morocco via South Africa after the Red Sea route was disrupted, increasing the delivery time to western ports by 21 days. Mishra said India imports about 60 per cent of its 55 lakh tonne DAP demand for the Rabi season from Russia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and China. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General Himanshu Pathak expressed optimism about the upcoming session. “Considering the water level in the reservoirs, IMD forecast and soil moisture, record production is expected in the Rabi season this year,” he said.
increased area of gram cultivation
Pathak advocated the adoption of climate-friendly and bio-fortified seeds. He highlighted that such varieties were used in almost 70 per cent of wheat cultivation last year, which significantly contributed to the bumper crop. Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi stressed the need to increase the area under gram cultivation. He said production remained low in the last two years, necessitating imports. Officials said the average area under rabi crops in the last five years was 668 lakh hectares, of which wheat accounted for 312 lakh hectares. The government has announced higher minimum support prices for wheat and other winter-sown crops to encourage planting. Union Ministers of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur and Bhagirath Choudhary along with six state agriculture ministers participated in the conference. The officials also discussed digital initiatives, including farmer data registration and crop surveys currently underway in two states, to be implemented across the country next year.
