Bumper crop expected: Pawar

Despite the late sowing due to the delayed monsoon, there would be a bumper kharif foodgrain production this year, said Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar.

8216;8216;The monsoon arrived late, but we have reviewed the sowing scenario and are confident that this year will be one of the best years for agriculture production,8217;8217; Pawar said.

In some areas, especially in Central India, the onset of monsoon was delayed by 10 to 15 days. But the rainfall deficit has been made up in the first week of July.

Currently, there is a rainfall deficit only in Bihar and Jharkhand, he said.

The floods in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh has delayed sowing, but not to the point where crop production would be affected.