India’s Agricultural Sector Sees Promising Yields in 2023-24
By Nimish Gangrade, Editor, Global Agriculture (The article was originally published in Global Agriculture)
01 July 2024, New Delhi: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the Third Advance Estimates of Major Agricultural Crops for the year 2023-24. From the last agricultural year, the summer season has been segregated from the Rabi season and incorporated in the Third Advance Estimates. Hence, these Advance Estimates of area, production, and yield includes Kharif, Rabi & Summer seasons.
The ministry has prepared this estimate primarily based on information received from State Agricultural Statistics Authorities (SASAs). The data received has been validated and triangulated with information received from Remote Sensing, Weekly Crop Weather Watch Group, and other agencies. Further, the climatic conditions, previous trends, price movements, mandi arrivals, etc. are also considered while preparing the estimates.
The details of the production of various crops are given as under:
Total Foodgrains– 3288.52 LMT
- Rice -1367.00 LMT
- Wheat – 1129.25 LMT
- Maize – 356.73 LMT
- Shree Anna– 174.08 LMT
- Tur – 33.85 LMT
- Gram – 115.76 LMT
Total Oilseeds– 395.93 LMT
- Soybean – 130.54 LMT
- Rapeseed & Mustard – 131.61 LMT
Sugarcane – 4425.22 LMT
Cotton – 325.22 Lakh Bales (170 Kgs. each)
Jute – 92.59 Lakh Bales (180 Kgs. each)
Indian Foodgrain Production Estimated at 3288.52 LMT; Slightly Lower Than Last Year
India’s agricultural sector has witnessed a strong performance in the 2023-24 crop year, with the total foodgrain production estimated at 3288.52 Lakh Metric Tons (LMT). This figure, while slightly lower than the previous year’s production, represents a significant increase of 211.00 LMT compared to the average foodgrain production of the last 5 years (2018-19 to 2022-23), which stood at 3077.52 LMT.
The production of key crops has shown a positive trend. The total Rice production is estimated at 1367.00 LMT, up from 1357.55 LMT in 2022-23, marking an increase of 9.45 LMT. Similarly, the production of Wheat is estimated at 1129.25 LMT, which is 23.71 LMT higher than the previous year’s wheat production.
The production of Shree Anna (Millets) is also on the rise, with an estimated output of 174.08 LMT, representing a marginal increase of 0.87 LMT from the 2022-23 production. Additionally, the production of Nutri/Coarse Cereals is estimated at 547.34 LMT, which is 46.24 LMT higher than the average Nutri/Coarse Cereals production.
The pulse crops have also seen a positive trend. The production of Tur (Pigeon Pea) is estimated at 33.85 LMT, a marginal increase of 0.73 LMT from the previous year’s production of 33.12 LMT. The production of Lentil is estimated at 17.54 LMT, which is 1.95 LMT higher than the previous year’s production of 15.59 LMT.
The oilseed sector has also witnessed a strong performance, with the production of Soybean estimated at 130.54 LMT and the production of Rapeseed & Mustard estimated at 131.61 LMT, which is 5.18 LMT higher than the previous year’s production.
The production of Cotton is estimated at 325.22 Lakh Bales (of 170 Kg each), while the production of Sugarcane is estimated at 4425.22 LMT.
Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES)
While preparing the Kharif crop production estimates, the ministry has considered the Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) based yield. Further, the process of recording CCEs has been re-engineered by the implementation of the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES) which was rolled out in 16 states during the Rabi season. The yield results received under DGCES have been predominantly used to arrive at rabi crop production. Further, summer crop production is based on the average of the last 3 years’ yield.
Horticulture Production in India Sees Mixed Trends in 2023-24; Down by 32.51 Lakh Tonnes
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the Second Advance Estimates of 2023-24 of Area and Production of various Horticultural Crops compiled based on information received from States/ UTs and other Governmental source agencies.
| Total Horticulture | 2022-23 | 2023-24 (1st Adv. Est.) | 2023-24 (2nd Adv. Est.) |
| Area (in Million Ha) | 28.44 | 28.77 | 28.63 |
| Production (in Million Tonne) | 355.48 | 355.25 | 352.23 |
The horticulture sector in India has witnessed a mixed performance in the 2023-24 (Second Advance Estimates) as per the latest data. The overall horticulture production is estimated to be around 352.23 Million Tonnes, a decrease of about 32.51 Lakh Tonnes (0.91%) over the previous year’s final estimates.
Fruits, Honey, Flowers, Plantation Crops, Spices, and Aromatic & Medicinal Plants have seen an increase in production, while Vegetables have seen a decline.
Fruit Production Rises, but Some Declines Observed
The production of Fruits is expected to reach 112.63 Million Tonnes, mainly due to increases in Banana, Lime/Lemon, Mango, Guava, and Grapes. However, the production of Apple and Pomegranate is expected to decrease compared to 2022-23.
Vegetable Production Sees Mixed Trends
The production of Vegetables is envisaged to be around 204.96 Million Tonnes. Increases are expected in Bottlegourd, Bittergourd, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Pumpkin, Tapioca, Carrot, and Tomato. On the other hand, decreases are expected in Onion, Potato, Brinjal, and other Vegetables.
Onion and Potato Production Decline
The production of Onion is expected to be 242.12 Lakh Tonnes in 2023-24, a decrease of about 60 Lakh Tonnes compared to the previous year. Similarly, Potato production is expected to be around 567.62 Lakh Tonnes, a decrease of about 34 Lakh Tonnes, mainly due to decreases in Bihar and West Bengal.
Tomato Production Increases
In contrast, the production of Tomatoes is expected to be around 212.38 Lakh Tonnes in 2023-24, an increase of 3.98% compared to the previous year.
Overall, the horticulture sector in India has shown a mixed performance, with some crops experiencing increases in production while others face declines. The government and stakeholders will need to closely monitor the situation and take appropriate measures to address the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities in this vital sector.
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