Area under rice has gained momentum due to the recent rains and 349,000 heactres of land has been brought under cultivation of the water-intensive crop so far, higher than 329,000 hectares in the corresponding period last year. The weather department expects monsoon rains to be normal this year at 96% of the long-period average. Betting on good monsoon rains, the agriculture ministry is targeting food grain production at an all-time high of 280 million tonne in the new crop year that starts June, higher than this year record of 273.4 million tonne.