The crop production in Gujarat in 2007-08 witnessed a major jump from what it was in 2006-07, indicating that the agricultural scenario in the state, which is known for its industries, is now changing.

The socio-economic review of the government for 2008-09, which was tabled in the state Assembly among the Budget papers during the ongoing Budget Session, claimed that production of food grains went up from 58,82,000 tonnes in 2006-07 to 82,06,000 tonnes in 2007-08, a growth of 39.51 per cent.

Wheat, rice, jowar and bajra were among the major food crops whose production went up, the report says.

According to the report, which

focuses on the development of important sectors of the state’s economy, the production of wheat and rice went up by 39.46 and 29.18 per cent respectively in 2007-08, over the previous year.

Likewise, the production of jowar and bajra witnessed an increase of 4.6 and 36.57 per cent in 2007-08 over the previous year.

Though no specific reason has been given for the increase, the document says that there was an increase in sowing areas of wheat from 10,72,000 hectares in 2006-07 to 12,74,000 hectares in 2007-08.

The cultivation area of rice also went up from 6,89,000 hectares in 2006-07 to 7,59,000 hectares in 2007-08.

Among the non-food crops, the production of groundnut witnessed the highest jump of 78 per cent, from 18,50,000 tonnes in 2006-07 to 32,99,000 tonnes in 2007-08, despite the fact that the area under groundnut cultivation went up by only 0.21 per cent from the previous year.

... contd.