India will see better grain output in 2012-13: Harish Rawat

New Delhi, Aug.16 (ANI): Minister of State for Agriculture Harish Rawat said on Thursday that he expected a better foodgrain output in 2012-13 as compared to 2009-10, in spite of prevailing drought conditions.

"We have record food grain production for the last two years and we are hopeful that despite weak to bad monsoon, this year we will do better than 2009-10. We all know that the 300 million tonnes of food grain production is our next target to be achieved by 2025," Rawat said.

Rawat said that the authorities have put in place a contingency plan to deal with drought-related problems in the country's 450 districts.

The deficiency in monsoon has been felt in Punjab and Haryana, although over the last two days, the region witnessed good showers. Crop-sowing position has been satisfactory because of the availability of ground water for irrigation.

According to meteorological observations, southern Karnataka state is expected to experience ample rainfall in August and this is likely to be well above normal.

Interestingly, sugar production has recorded highest level in the past 18 months despite poor rainfall in all the three leading states cultivating sugarcane, namely, - western Maharashtra, Karnataka and northern Uttar Pradesh.

The country previously witnessed drought in 2009 when it had to import sugar, pushing global prices to 30-year highs.

India generally receives 75 percent of its annual rain from the June-September monsoon, as moisture-laden winds sweep in from the southwest of the peninsula.

India's monsoon rains were one percent below average in the week to August 8, the weather office said last week, as drought continues to hit the west of the major producer and consumer of grains, rice and sugar this season.(ANI)