-The Hindu Business Line
New Delhi: Despite a slowdown in the South West monsoon, the Centre has not given up hopes of a record foodgrains production in 2016-17.
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, speaking to reporters at a conference on Thursday, did not specify a production figure but said that his Ministry was sticking to its stand that foodgrains production in the ongoing year would touch a record high.
“This means that foodgrains production can be anything between 265 million tonnes and 270 million tonnes,” an official from the Agriculture Ministry explained.
Earlier this year the Centre had set a target of 270 mt of foodgrains production on expectations of an above normal monsoon. India’s record foodgrains output so far is 265 mt achieved in 2013-14.