Kharif Crops

Rice crop primarily benefitted from increase in area on the back of record high
rice prices at sowing time. Farmers switched over from cotton and sugarcane as
realized prices for both the crops in the previous season had been lower than
expected. Besides this, other factors also contributed in remarkable growth of rice
harvest; (1) higher monsoon rains facilitated the irrigation requirements, (2)
efficient use of inputs, and (3) employing yield boosting technology like
plantation of hybrid rice, inter-culture practices and effective pesticide practice.
Out of total FY09 rice
production, approximately
4.0 million tonnes will be
available for exports.
However, a domestic supply
glut has coincided with ease
in international prices; as a
result, downward pressures
on domestic rice prices and
export unit value are
visible.2
Encouragingly, cotton
harvest, which had declined
1 The highest wheat harvest achieved is 23.3 million tonnes in FY07 so far. Given a substantial rise
in area, timely rains, it is likely that FY09 wheat harvest will be a new record high.
2 Domestic rice (basmati) prices declined by 21.7 percent in November 2008 from their peak in June
2008. International prices fell by about 44.5 percent in November 2008 from their peak levels in
April this year.
0
700
1400
2100
2800
3500
FY05
FY06
FY07
FY08
FY09
Estimate