Oilseeds crop is expected to decline for the second consecutive year even if productino of non-food crops would show a rise of less than one per cent.While foodgrain production is estimated to grow by 0.8 per cent against one per cent increase in 1999-2000, production of non-food crops would show a rise of less than one per cent with oilseeds production has declined for the second successive year.

Further, while the kharif crops have been severely damaged by the worst monsoon this season as also by the floods on the eastern region. To top this, at the start of the rabi oilseeds sowing season, there are reports of subdued trend in area coverage under rapeseed and mustard.

According to CMIE, kharif crop of rice and soyabean have shrank this season by 1.6 million tonnes, following worst monsoon this year and floods in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

OILSEEDS: Overall oilseeds production in the country during 2000-2001 is expected to see a decline of 4.5 per cent. Production of rabi oilseeds is expected to partially ocver the fall in kharif output.

Kharif oilseeds were sown over 156 lakh hectares of area,three lakh hectares more than the acerage in 1999. Area under cultivation had increased in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra but declined in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

COTTON: Total area under cultivation was 82 lakh hectares during the current year. This was six lakh hectares lower than the area sown in 1999. The fall was largely in Maharashtra where the area declined by six lakh hectares. Cotton production during 2000-2001 is estimated at 13.2 million bales up 10 per cent from its levels in 1999-2000.

RICE: Kharif rice output - considered to be 85 per cent of the total annual production - is estimated to have dropped by 1.6 million tonne to 74 mn tn. This is attributed to a weak monsoon in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh and floods in rice growing areas of West Bengal. Rabi rice production is expected to be around 13.5 mn tn. Thus, the total rice production in the country would be around 87.5 mn tn as against 88.25 mn tn produced in 1999-2000, implying a fall of 0.8 per cent.

Rice hwas sown over 400 lakh hectares of area during the kharif season, almost six lakh hectares less than last year.

COARSE CEREALS: Area under kharif coarse cereals was up by around a million hectares during 2000-01. The increase in area was negated by a fall in productivity due to unsatisfactory rains in western and central parts of the country. Kharif cereals productin is estimated to be around 23.1 mn tn same sa in the previous year. but would be less than the normal harvest of 25.7 mn tn. Total coarse cereals production during 2000-01 is expected to show an increase of 1.8 per cent as against decline of 3.5 per cent.

PULSES: Pulses production is estimated to have increased by 16 per cent during the kharif season to about 5.5 mn tn.

The rise was result of an increase in area which expanded by 16 per cent. Overall pulses produciton during 2000-01 is expected to rise by over nine per cent. It had declined by over 11 per cent in 1999-00.

Kharif pulses were sown over 115 lakh hectares of area, nearly 15 lakh hectares more than the area sown in 1999. The expansion in area was a fallout of a good rain in the first two months of the 2000 monsoon.

SUGARCANE: production is etimated to have declined by three per cent. Accordingly, the total cane production during 2000-01 would be 300.6 mn tn as against 309.3 mn tn produced in 1999-00.

Meanwhile, the commodities index during 2000-01 climbed to 176.6, up from 175.1 last year, which declined from 178.5 in 1998-99. The foodgrains index too accordingly inched up to 167.7 - up 0.8 per cent over 166.4 of 1999-2000. The non-food crop index was at 191.7, up one per cent from 189.8 in 199-2000.