INDIA EXPECTS 83.25 MLN RECORD RICE OUTPUT THIS SEASON

By P. VIJIAN

NEW DELHI, Sept 26 (Bernama) -- Despite the erratic weather and the monsoon
threatening India's farmers, rice production is expected to reach a record 83.25
million tonnes this harvest season.

India, world's second largest rice producer, is hoping for a bumper season
when farmers start to harvest their monsoon-sown crop this month.

"The rice crop planted in June will be 83.25 million tonnes. Based on the
estimates, production of over 115 million tonne food grains has been
achieved, out of which 83.25 tonnes is rice.

"We estimate about two million hectares have been affected from both
drought
and floods but the productivity is higher this time," said India's Agriculture
Secretary T. Nanda Kumar.

Indian farmers plant paddy twice a year -- khariff (summer) and rabi
(winter) seasons.

The monsoon-sown crop contributes more than 85 per cent of the nation's
rice
production while the balance is harvested from the winter crop planted in
October.

Based on the optimistic figures, analysts predict India may relax its
seven-month export restriction on non-basmati rice, which came into force when
the region faced supply shortage and price surge of the grain in the global
market.

India, along with other major producers like Vietnam, stopped exports to
ensure there was enough supply in the domestic market.

India produces nearly 94 million tonnes of rice annually, of which about
four million tonnes are exported.

Nanda also said India produced 231 million tonnes of food grains, 28.82
million tonnes of oilseeds and 25.81 million bales of cotton in the 2007-2008
season.