The sharp increase in the grain output will be mainly on account of the rise in kharif rice output to 75 million tonnes as against 72.2 million tonnes produced last year, additional secretary in the agriculture ministry, JNL Shrivastava, told PTI.

``With the timely arrival of monsoon and comfortable stock levels of fertilisers and seeds, the country would be able to set a new record in kharif crop,'' he said.

Coarse cereals production, the second largest constituent in the foodgrain output in kharif season, is also forecast to go up to 27.7 million tonnes as against 24.34 million during 1998-99, Shrivastava said.

Riding on a bumper rice and wheat crop of 84.48 and 70.63 million tonnes respectively, India is estimated to have crossed the 200 million mark in the foodgrain production during 1998-99.

Productionof pulses is projected to rise marginally to 6.1 per cent during 1999-2000 kharif season as compared to 5.95 million tonnes last year.

Shrivastava said sowing of rice and oilseeds had already begun in a number of states and the area under cultivation was expected to exceed the normal level of 39.4 million hectares during the current year.

``Sowing is in progress in states which received early showers and about two lakh hectares is estimated to be covered under rice and 10 lakh hectares under various oilseeds,'' he added.

The kharif oilseeds output is projected to go up to 165 lakh tonnes as against last year's kharif production of 157 lakh tonnes.

Major kharif oilseeds include groundnut, soyabean, castor, sesame and sunflower. India's groundnut and soyabean production during 1998-99 stood at 69.3 lakh tonnes and 67.7 lakh tonnes respectively.

``With the imports of edible oils fast rising and domestic production last year not showing a desired growth we have set the oilseed production target for thecurrent year at 270 lakh tonnes against last year's production of 253 lakh tonnes,'' Shrivastava said.

The agriculture ministry's initial projections of better kharif harvest is after taking into consideration the preparedness of state level implementation agencies to manage pest and diseases and its ability to deliver fertiliser and seeds at farmers' doorsteps.

``Unlike 1998-99 when we faced difficulties in supply of certain fertilisers and management of pests in cotton, the agriculture machinery in the country this year is well equipped to meet the challenges,'' he said.

The fertiliser availability as compared to last year was quite comfortable due to enhanced production capacity of domestic manufacturing units and increased imports, Shrivastava said.

The urea availability for the whole of 1999-2000 is estimated to be 115.19 lakh tonnes as against last year's figure of 106.19 lakh tonnes and that of di-amonium phosphate (DAP) at 34.75 lakh tonnes up from last year's 30.49 lakh tonnes.

Theavailability of muriate of potash (MOP) is estimated to be 15 lakh tonnes as against 9.95 lakh tonnes last year.

The ministry has estimated the fertiliser requirement for kharif season in the order of 28.5 lakh tonnes of urea, 8.9 lakh tonnes of dap and 2.82 lakh tonnes of mop.

Among the major commercial crops, cotton is estimated to have been covered under a total of 12.5 lakh hectares and jute in about six lakh hectares of land, one lakh down from last year's level of seven lakh hectares.

The agriculture ministry has also completed extensive integrated pest management (IPM) programme for both farmers and extension agencies in an effort to tackle the attack of pests in major crops like cotton and jute, Shrivastava added.