The government has pegged the country's total foodgrains production at an all-time high of more than 257 million tonnes, for the 2011-12 crop year. It is 5 million tonnes higher than the April estimate. In the third advance estimate released in April, foodgrains productions was projected at more than 252 million tonnes for the current crop year against over 245 million tonnes.

As per the fourth advance estimate for 2011-12 crop year, July-June, released by the Agriculture Ministry today in New Delhi, the country has harvested a record 104.32 million tonnes of rice in 2011-12, as against 103.41 million tonnes in the third estimate. In 2010-11, rice output stood at 95.98 million tonnes.

Similarly, wheat production has also been revised upward nearly four million tonnes to an all time high 93.90 million tonnes, as against 86.87 million tonnes in the previous crop year. Pulses production has been upped by nearly 2 lakh tonnes to 17.21 million tonnes in 2011-12 but remains lower than 18.24 millon tonnes achieved in the 2010-11 crop year.

However, oilseeds output has been revised downward by 50,000 tonnes to 30.01 million tonnes in 2011-12, as against 32.47 million tonnes produced in the previous crop year. Among cash crops, cotton production has been kept unchanged at 35.2 million bales (of 170 kg) in 2011-12, against 33 million bales.

Sugarcane output has been revised upward by more than six million tonnes to a record 357.67 million tonnes in 2011-12, as against 342.23 million tonnes in the previous year. Every year, the government releases five foodgrain

production estimates at different stages. Apart from favourable weather, the massive growth in foodgrains production in 2011-12 was on the back of implementation of several schemes including 'Bringing GreenRevolution in Eastern region' in the 11th Five year plan (2007-12).