New Delhi, Apr 25 (IANS): With the Indian Meteorological Department forecasting "near normal" monsoon this year, the Agriculture Ministry on Thursday set its target for foodgrain production during kharif season 2019-20 at 147.9 million tonnes (MT), with rice output pegged at 102 MT.

These targets are higher when compared to the actual kharif output for 2018-19, which is 142.24 MT, as per the second advance estimates.

The ministry also expects the production during the 2019-20 rabi season to be tentatively around 143.2 MT.

At the National Conference on Agriculture (Kharif campaign - 2019), officials said rice production would touch the 102 MT-mark this kharif season, while maize production would be around 21.3 MT.

The production of coarse cereals will be about 35.8 MT, while that of pulses would be around 10.1 MT.

The output of jowar, bajra and ragi will be 2.1 MT, 9.5 MT and 2.3 MT, respectively.

Also, total oil seeds production is likely to be 25.84 MT and the sugarcane output is expected to be 385.50 MT, the ministry said.

Cotton output is estimated to be 35.75 million bales (each of 170 kg).