 The farming sector is driving India's economy |
India has forecast record farm outputs, partly as a result of an excellent monsoon. Grain exports are expected to rise while vegetable oil imports are likely to drop, officials have said.
"After the disastrous drought of 2002, there was an astonishing recovery in 2003," R.C.A. Jain, agriculture secretary, told correspondents.
The government recently predicted that India's economy will grow by more than 8% in 2003/04.
Rising incomes
The country's grain output in 2003/04 is forecast to rise to an all time high of 212.2 million tonnes from 174.2 million tonnes in the previous year when production was severely hit by drought, farming officials said.
A ministry statement said the oilseed output in 2003/04 was set to jump to 24.98 million tonnes from 15.1 million tonnes in the same period a year ago.
Higher rural incomes resulting from the bumper crops are predicted to boost demand for manufactured goods.
A rise in incomes has been seen by many of the 70% of India's one billion people who rely on farming to survive.
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