The pace of sowing of mustard and groundnut is slower than last year

10-Dec-2024 04:07 PM

The pace of sowing for mustard and groundnut crops during the Rabi season has been slower than last year, with a notable shift in farmer priorities.

This year, farmers appear to be focusing more on cultivating wheat and gram, which has impacted the sowing of oilseed crops.

According to the latest data from the Union Agriculture Ministry, the total area under oilseed crops in the Rabi season has decreased by approximately 4 lakh hectares compared to the previous year, dropping from 90.45 lakh hectares to 86.52 lakh hectares. While the current sowing area is close to the average of 86.97 lakh hectares, it is still significantly lower than last year.

The decline in oilseed sowing is primarily driven by mustard, the most important Rabi oilseed crop. The area dedicated to mustard cultivation has dropped from 84.70 lakh hectares last year to 81.07 lakh hectares this year.

Similarly, the sowing area for groundnut has reduced from 2.51 lakh hectares to 2.31 lakh hectares, and linseed sowing has decreased from 2.27 lakh hectares to 2.11 lakh hectares.

In contrast, there has been some improvement in the cultivation of other oilseeds. The area for safflower (kusum) production has increased from 49 thousand hectares to 52 thousand hectares, while sunflower cultivation has grown from 21 thousand hectares to 27 thousand hectares.

Additionally, sesame has been sown in 6 thousand hectares, and other oilseeds occupy 17 thousand hectares.

This decline in mustard sowing is particularly concerning in some major producing states, despite the government's efforts to encourage cultivation by increasing the minimum support price (MSP) for mustard by Rs 300, from Rs 5650 per quintal last year to Rs 5950 per quintal for the 2024-25 season.

However, this incentive has not proven to be effective in reversing the downward trend in mustard cultivation.