PATNA, March 8 -- Foodgrain production in Bihar in kharif and rabi season has shown positive trends in year 2025-26 with overall production estimated at 21.2 million metric tonnes of which rice production stands at 88 lakh metric tonnes while wheat production stands at 7.237 million metric tonnes. The data is based on the second advance estimate prepared recently by the directorate of economics and statistics, Bihar in association with agriculture department. "The total food production will rise more in next few months once the rabi harvest is over. A clear picture would emerge in the third estimate to be prepared in next few months based on the field reports of harvesting of crops in the rabi season," said a senior agriculture official. Officials said that the foodgrains production showing upward trend in this year could be attributed to normal monsoon and various other initiatives taken by the state government like distribution of seeds for various crops, irrigation facilities and also promoting crops other than conventional crops like rice and wheat in areas where dry conditions prevail during kharif and rabi season. "Despite floods witnessed in few districts, the high production trends of foodgrains indicate there was not much damage to standing crops during the kharif season in 2025," said another official. In year 2024-25, Bihar had witnessed a high production of foodgrains. As per the final estimate for 2024-25, the total foodgrains production in Bihar stood at 24.7 million metric tonnes of which rice production was 9.934 million metric tonnes and wheat production stood at 78.26 million metric tonnes. Incidentally, maize production in 2025-26 stands at 4.892 million metric tonnes as per the second advance estimate. "This will rise in coming months after the third estimation," said an agriculture official. In 2024-25, the maize production was on the higher side with total production standing at 6.602 million metric tonnes. Meanwhile, agriculture minister Ram Kripal Yadav on Saturday said that the digital crop survey -- a process where information of crops sowed by farmers in their plots in every crop season is collected -- has been going on intensely in the state for last several crop cycles. Yadav said in kharif season 2025, 32,707 revenue villages spread over all 38 districts have been covered and digital crop survey has been completed in 1,54,02,156 plots whereas in rabi season (2025-26), a target to cover 30,416 revenue villages and 1,97,74,227 plots have been set....