India has to boost production of wheat, rice, pulses and edible oils to check inflation and sustain high economic growth, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Tuesday. Sluggish farm output has prevented India from achieving double-digit economic growth rates and reductions in poverty, especially in rural areas.

Policy makers want to double the growth of farm output to 4 percent by the end of the 2011/12 fiscal year so that Asia's third-largest economy can achieve average annual economic growth of 9 percent over the next five years.
The government planned schemes to help raise output of such items within three years to keep prices in check and ensure adequate supplies for the 1.1 billion populations. Farm Minister Sheared Pawar said efforts must be made to rejuvenate the farm sector, as the country would need about 25 million tonnes of additional foodgrains by the end of 2011-2012.