Sowing area of ​​oilseeds has increased due to soybean

18-Jul-2024 08:08 PM

New Delhi. Compared to last year, during the current Kharif season till July 15, the total production area of ​​oilseed crops at the all-India level increased by 25.35 lakh hectares from 115.08 lakh hectares to 140.43 lakh hectares, which is more than the sowing area of ​​134.04 lakh hectares in the year 2022 and the area of ​​124.83 lakh hectares in the year 2021.

Sowing of oilseed crops will continue for the next few weeks. Contrary to expectations, this time a tremendous increase is being seen in the production area of ​​soybean.

During the period under review, its sowing area jumped by 25.66 lakh hectares from 82.44 lakh hectares to 108.10 lakh hectares, which is much more than the area of ​​​​the year 2022 and 2021.

In fact, the wholesale market price of soybean has been running below the minimum support price for a long time and farmers and traders also have a good stock of it.

Huge imports of cheap soybean oil from abroad are continuing. In view of this, the production area of ​​this important oilseed crop was expected to decrease in the current Kharif season, but on the contrary, a huge increase is being seen in the area.

The government has increased the minimum support price of soybean by 6.3 percent from Rs 4600 per quintal for the 2023-24 season to Rs 4892 per quintal for the 2024-25 season. 

Among other oilseed crops, the production area of ​​groundnut reached 28.20 lakh hectares, sesame 3.21 lakh hectares, sunflower 51 thousand hectares, niger seed 20 thousand hectares and castor sowing area reached 16 thousand hectares. Sowing is now expected to pick up pace in Gujarat.