This plan with major objectives of food, work and productivity put emphasis on the increase of rice production in the eastern part of the country, initiat­ing national oilseed development project, national watershed development programme for rain-fed agriculture, economic development of small and marginal farmers and social forestry.

Agricultural sector attracted the plan outlay of 22% with targeted growth rate of 4% per annum and food grain produc­tion of 178 million tons by the end of the plan (1989-90). Consequently the food grains production increased to 171 million tons by the end of the plan (showing an increase of 17.5% over 1984-85).

The annual growth rate has been moderate in case of pulses (1.5%) and wheat (2.62%) but same has been quite satisfactory in case of rice (5.22%), oil seeds (6.14%(, sugarcane (6.48%) and cotton (6.85%). However, the increase in the output of jute has not been encouraging (per cent annual increase being 1.65 during the plan). While the production of rice, coarse grains, sugarcane, and cotton was above the target level of the plan it failed to achieve the desired output in case of wheat, food grains, pulses, oil seeds and jute.