The country’s foodgrain productivity in 2010-11 crop year (July-June) has improved to 1,921 kg per hectare from 1,798 kg per hectare in the 2009-10 crop year, an increase of around 8%, according to Harish Rawat, Minister of State for Agriculture. The productivity of foodgrains was 1,715 kg per hectare in 2005-06.
The minister informed Rajya Sabha in his written reply that the average annual growth in the agriculture and allied sectors during the first four years of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-08 to 2011-12) stood at 3.2% as against the targeted rate of 4%. He also opined that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for agriculture sector touched 6.6% in 2010-11, the highest growth rate achieved in last six years, thanks to the corrective actions taken by government.
However, the average growth in GDP of agriculture and allied sectors in four years of the 11th Five-Year Plan lagged behind targets due to severe drought in many parts of the country during 2009-10 and drought/deficient rainfall in some states namely Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and East Uttar Pradesh in 2010-11.
Harish Rawat also informed the house that over the years, investments in farm sector have been increasing and reached Rs 1,33,377 crore in 2009-10 from Rs 76,096 crore in 2004-05. This includes public sector investment from 16,187 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 23,635 crore in 2009-10 and private sector investment from Rs 59,909 crore to Rs 1,09,742 crore in the same period at 2004-05 prices.