India's union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has claimed that the total food grain production in the country is expected to cross 250 million tonnes in 2012-13 crop year.

The comments are significant because large parts of the country was facing drought like situation in the previous year with government announcing special aid packages for affected areas. He pointed out that the current production is sufficient to meet the domestic demand and added that the second advance estimate will be released today.

While speaking at the Indian Seed Congress organised by the National Seed Association of India (NSAI), he said that the total production has crossed 250 million tonnes even as some districts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and parts of Karnataka were facing drought situation in the previous year.

India currently imports about 50 per cent of its edible oil and pulses demand from other countries. Mr. Pawar said that country will have to increase production to meet domestic demand added that support for a technological breakthrough in seeds and other inputs is needed from the authorities.

He said that the government will have to focus on key points in the value chain to achieve a growth rate of 4 per cent in the agriculture sector.