New Delhi: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has assured that the Government is closely monitoring the drought situation in the country.
However, he said that due to the poor monsoon the country’s farm production in the Kharif season could fall by 15-20 per.
Till now, around 252 districts in 10 states have been officially declared as drought-hit in the country.
“For impact of production on the Kharif crop, exact quantum will be known only when the harvesting starts. But from the picture of sowing, one can easily estimate that there is likelihood of a shortfall to the extent of 15-20 per cent,” he said at a Ficci conference in the Capital.
“Drought is there, rainfall deficiency is to the extent of 26 per cent,” Mukherjee added.
On August 19, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had said that rice production could fall by 10 million tonnes in Kharif (summer-sown crop) season.
“Some shortfall in production of oilseeds and sugarcane is also expected,” Pawar said.
Describing the current situation of the economy, Mukherjee said, “We have certain areas of concern like drought, inflationary pressure, government borrowing and its consequences on long term funding of corporate sector”.
India produced 117.7 million tonnes of foodgrains in Kharif season last year, of which 84.58 million tonnes was rice.
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