Area under oilseed crops likely to increase

29-Jun-2024 01:29 PM

New Delhi. There are chances of increase in sowing area under oilseed crops during Kharif season as compared to last year. Although, the area under groundnut is still far behind last year,

but when the pace of sowing increases in states like Gujarat as well as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, then there can be some improvement in its area.

As far as soybean is concerned, its production area has already jumped from 1.63 lakh hectares to 33.66 lakh hectares.

This time the five-year average area under soybean has been estimated to be 122.95 lakh hectares and the pace at which sowing is increasing seems to indicate that its total area will surpass that.

A good increase has been made in the minimum support price of soybean. Area under groundnut has decreased from 14.56 lakh hectares last year to 8.19 lakh hectares this time,

which is less than 20 percent of the normal average area of ​​45.28 lakh hectares. Other oilseeds of Kharif season include sunflower, sesame, nigerseed, castor and some other crops.

Sowing of these crops is now slowly gaining momentum. Due to favorable weather and monsoon in Karnataka,

the domestic production area of ​​sunflower has improved from 26 thousand hectares to 37 thousand hectares and the area of ​​sesame has increased from 26 thousand hectares to 43 thousand hectares.

Sowing of castor in Gujarat and Rajasthan gains momentum in July. There are chances of some improvement in its area as well.