Marginal Dip in Kharif Pulse Output

DELHI - Sep 26/18 - SNS -- This year's kharif season pulse harvest in India is expected to be down slightly from last year, according to the first production estimates for the 2018-19 cropping cycle issued by the country's agriculture department.

Kharif pulse output was pegged at 9.22 million metric tons (MT), marginally below the 9.34 million harvested last year.

Total food grain output was pegged at 141.59 million MT, up 860,000 MT last year's 140.73 million MT kharif harvest and above the previous five year average of 129.65 million MT.

Rice output was pegged at 99.24 million MT, compared to 97.50 million last year and the recent five year average of 92.6 million.

Total nutri/coarse cereal output is expected to drop from 33.89 to 33.13 million MT as compared to 33.89 million MT. Maize or corn production is forecast at 21.47 million MT, up from 20.24 million last year.

Kharif season oilseed crops are expected to reach 22.19 million MT, up from 21 million last year and the recent five year average of 20.17 million MT.

Yields held up well even though this year's monsoon rainfall accumulations were 8% below the long term average between June 1 and September 12. Rainfall distribution was uneven, with North West India, Central India and South Peninsula seeing normal accumulations.