PATNA, Nov. 23 -- Having recorded 24.7 83 million metric tonnes of foodgrain production in 2024-25, a record high in last many years, Bihar is set to achieve similar foodgrain production in 2025-26 as per projections of the agriculture department with the first advance estimate of the kharif season showing high production of paddy and maize. As per the data of first advance estimate based on the field reports of initial crop cutting and coverage area of kharif crops in 2025-26, the rice production is estimated at 8.7 million metric tonnes already with indications the production and area of coverage would be higher once the second and third estimates come in next few months. The total production of foodgrains , as per the first advance estimate for 25-26, is pegged at 9.313 million metric tonnes. "The first advance estimate is just based on the area of coverage of kharif crops standing at 3.464 million hectares including the paddy coverage. The area and production will increase till third estimate as the rabi season is set to start now," said an agriculture department official. Significantly, the state having witnessed heavy rains in the monsoon season this year, officials maintained the paddy crop and rice production would be higher in 2025-26 than last year's rice production of 9.934 million metric tonnes. In this year's kharif season, the targeted area of coverage for paddy crop is 3.7 million hectares while the targeted coverage area for maize is 290,000 lakh hectares while for pulses, the targeted coverage area is 58,000 hectares, officials said. As per the data of the first estimate for 2025-26, the total pulses production stands at around 400,000 metric tonnes whereas maize production stands at 533,000 metric tonnes, which is set to rise once the second and third estimates come. "The rains in the monsoon season have been high and we are expecting the paddy production to hover around 149,000 metric tonnes as last year. The wheat production is also set to be high this year with the early onset of winter with moisture in the fields , which is ideal for the sowing season of rabi crops," said another official. Incidentally, the agriculture department has already intensified the distribution of seeds for pulses, wheat and other rabi crops among farmers so that there is no shortage of seeds during the sowing season, which is expected to gain momentum in next couple of weeks across the state. "Last year, the area of coverage of foodgrains stood at 7.104 million hectares leading to production of 24.783 million metric tonnes, which is 34.88 quintal per hectare. This is a record in itself in the last many years and we expect the same kind of production in this fiscal year too," said one senior officer, engaged in analysing trends of the foodgrain production in the agriculture department. In 2024-25, wheat production in the state stood at 7.8 27 million metric as per the final and fourth advance estimate....