The Hindu Business Line : Record area under oilseeds

THERE has been a significant expansion of area coverage for oilseeds during the current kharif season. It has reached 171.5 lakh hectares (lh), up from 152.7 lakh ha during the kharif season in 2003 and a normal area of 147 lh, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The major cultivated oilseeds in the kharif season are soyabean, groundnut, sesamum, sunflowerseed, nigerseed and castorseed. The cultivated area of all oilseeds, except groundnut, has expanded.

Area under soyabean has touched a record 79.3 lh, up from 69.2 lh of last year. Groundnut area is 52.6 lh, virtually unchanged from last year. Area under sunflower at 8.2 lh is higher compared with 5.8 lh last year.

Rainfall over most parts of the peninsular region during the last week has improved the prospects of oilseeds production, the crop weather watch group meeting of the Agriculture Ministry was informed.

While the area coverage numbers are encouraging, there is nothing to suggest that oilseeds production will come anywhere near the production target of 165 lakh tonnes or even close to last year's kharif output of 137 lakh tonnes.

This is primarily because yields are likely to suffer as a result of a long dry spell during July. Germination was affected in many areas. Replanting has not helped in some areas, as seed viability was suspect.

Even under normal conditions, oilseed yields are typically as low as 900 kilograms per ha, and in the current season there is apprehension that it could be even lower at about 800 kg/ha.

For instance, although the soyabean area is an unprecedented 79 lakh ha, production is likely to be around 60-62 lakh tonne (l.t.). Same is the case with groundnut in-shell, the output of which is estimated tentatively at 42-44 l.t. However, higher acreage has helped recover from the major setback to oilseeds production in 2004-05.

More Stories on : Oilseeds & Edible Oil | Cultivation

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