India is likely to produce 90.6 million tonnes rice in 2015-16 from summer-sown crop, a tad lower than last year on account of the drought. The crop has been planted on 36.84 million hectares as against 36.65 million hectares a year ago.
Total food grain production from summer-sown crops is likely to drop 1.8% year-on-year to 124.05 million tonnes due to a steep fall in corn production. Rains were 16% below average so far over the four-month monsoon season that ends this month due to an El Nino weather pattern.