business

Updated: Jan 20, 2014 08:29 IST

President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday expressed confidence that foodgrain production this year will break all records over the previous years and agriculture growth rate could touch 4%.

"It is expected this year our food grain production will break all records over our past record of 259 million tonnes in 2011-12 and 250 million tonnes in the previous year," he said while inaugurating a Krishi Vigyan Kendra building.

Lauding agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and his ministry's role over the good performance in the sector, he said that India today has not only emerged as the largest producer of rice but also largest exporter in rice.

"We have also emerged as the second largest exporter of wheat, sugar and cotton," he said.

The President said that while in the first half of this year agriculture growth has touched 3.6%, it will touch 4% shortly.

Mukherjee also expressed confidence that the country will be able to fulfil the obligation of food security to the people after the enactment of National Food Security Act.

On the role of science and technology in the agricultural sector, he said that the proposed farm innovation fund will encourage development of new product technologies and methodologies by the farmer.