New Delhi, September 18: India’s foodgrain, fruit and vegetable output rose sharply this year, prompting the government to set a higher production target for 2025/26, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday.
The country produced 353.96 million tonnes of foodgrains in 2024/25, an increase of 21.66 million tonnes, or 6.5%, from the previous year, Chouhan told reporters after a two-day national conference on rabi (winter) crops. The harvest surpassed the government’s target by 12.41 million tonnes.
“For 2025/26, we have set a production target of 362.50 million tonnes, up from 341.55 million tonnes last year,” Chouhan said, adding that India achieved record yields in rice, wheat, maize, groundnut and soybean.
The meeting, involving central and state agriculture departments, discussed climate resilience, seed and fertiliser supply, natural farming and integrated farming systems. Special emphasis will be placed on boosting productivity of pulses and oilseeds, where yields remain below potential, Chouhan said.
He noted that 25 million tonnes of seeds were available for the upcoming rabi sowing season, against a requirement of 22.9 million tonnes. Fertiliser supplies would be adjusted according to demand, in coordination with the Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry, he said.
The minister also said the Centre was assisting states hit by recent floods, including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Assam, and working to ensure timely payout of crop insurance benefits to affected farmers.
While India’s rice and wheat production is already at global levels, Chouhan said the government will prepare a roadmap to enhance pulses and oilseeds yields. “Crop-wise reviews are underway, and concrete steps will follow to raise rabi output and strengthen farmer welfare,” he added.
