India’ food grain production will likely reach a record level of 164.7 million tonne (MT) in 2024-25 kharif season, with year-on-year increase of 5.4%, the ministry of agriculture said in Tuesday releasing the first advance estimate. This augurs well for the rural economy and consumption, with improved income prospects for farmers. With above-normal monsoon rainfall and high reservoir levels, the rabi sowing, which has just started, is also expected to be robust. Potentially, higher grain output could give a boost to the gross value added (GVA) in agriculture and allied sectors in the current fiscal year, although rural incomes are also a function of prices fetched by the cultivators.