Foodgrain production to be 284 MT in 2018-19: Government
New Delhi, April 25: Total food production in 2018-19 will be 283.7 million tonnes, including 113 million tonnes of rice, Union Agriculture Ministry said on Wednesday.
Owing to signs of normal and favourable monsoon, foodgrain production during the kharif season is expected to be 140.2 million tonnes while it would be about 142.5 million tonnes during the rabi season as per the tentative targets, Agriculture Commissioner S.K. Malhotra said at the Kharif Conference here.
Paddy production would be around 113 million tonnes in 2018-19 including 98 tonnes during Kharif season. The ministry has targeted 100 million tonnes of wheat production this year.
As per the targets, pulses production is expected to be 24 million tonnes while oilseeds production would be 36 million tonnes.
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Congress to contest only 11 out of 36 seats in Mumbai; Political analysts predict tough battle
Mumbai: Out of the 36 assembly constituencies in Mumbai, Congress will contest in just 11 seats in the upcoming elections. In the 2019 assembly elections, the party fielded candidates in 30 constituencies, but this time, it has reduced its presence significantly following its alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT). Despite several rounds of discussions led by Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad and MLA Aslam Shaikh, Congress secured only a few seats under the MVA formula.
The seats allocated to Congress are seen as BJP strongholds, making victory challenging, according to political analysts. Among the 11 constituencies Congress is contesting, four are held by sitting MLAs. Notably, Congress swapped the Bandra East seat with Chandivli, which is held by Shiv Sena (UBT). Additionally, seats like Byculla and Versova, which Congress had shown interest in, were ceded as part of the alliance arrangement.
"This is the fewest seats Congress has contested in decades, indicating its struggles within the seat-sharing dynamics with Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP)," said political analysts. Moreover, in Northeast Mumbai, Congress is fielding candidates in only one constituency.
In Mulund, NCP (SP)'s Sangeeta Wagh and Congress’s Rakesh Shetty have filed nominations, raising the possibility of Congress conceding all of Northeast Mumbai if Shetty withdraws. "We aimed to contest in 14-15 seats but were left with just 11, as Shiv Sena (UBT) had already announced candidates in several constituencies. We will, however, uphold the alliance’s spirit to maximise MVA's win," said Gaikwad.
