Production of oilseeds expected to improve due to better weather and good sowing
26-Jul-2024 05:58 PM
New Delhi. At the national level, this time not only is there a good increase in the sowing area of Kharif oilseed crops, but the weather and monsoon conditions are also quite favourable. Due to this, there are chances of improvement in production.
The interesting fact is that this time the area of soybean is ahead of last year right from the beginning, whereas there were apprehensions of a 5-10 percent decline in it.
Similarly, earlier the area of groundnut was lagging behind last year, but when vigorous sowing started in the most prominent producing state- Gujarat, then its area went ahead.
Cultivation of other oilseeds is also happening normally, but sesame is an exception to this. Although the Central Government has increased the minimum support price of sesame by 7.3 percent to Rs. 9367 per quintal and its market price is also running at a high level, but still farmers are showing less interest in its cultivation.
There has been a good increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of other oilseed crops as well. For example, the MSP of groundnut has been increased by 6.4 percent to Rs 6783 per quintal,
the support price of sunflower has been increased by 7.7 percent to Rs 7280 per quintal and the minimum support price of soybean has been increased by 6.3 percent to Rs 4892 per quintal. The MSP of Niger Seed has also been increased by 12.7 percent to Rs 8717 per quintal.
Although some states of the country like Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Bihar and Kerala have received less rainfall than the normal average, but oilseeds are not cultivated on a large scale there.
On the other hand, monsoon rainfall has been normal or more in major oilseed producing states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
There is also a crisis of waterlogging in some areas due to which oilseed crops are likely to be partially damaged. The condition of the crop is said to be quite good in areas with normal rainfall or flood free areas.