Area under mustard seed is likely to increase 10 per cent in the current rabi season on favourable conditions like moisture content and temperature, following extended monsoon.
According to the latest forecast by industry veteran Gobindbhai Patel, managing partner, G G Patel and Nikhil Research Co, the area under mustard may increase by 7 lakh hectares (ha) in the season beginning October 2009 to 73 lakh ha as compared to 66 lakh ha last year.
The rise in acreage would lead to a 12 per cent increase in the output this season at 6.7 million tonnes as against 6 million tonnes during the previous season.
Patel argued that the rain deficiency during June-July in major producing states including Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh deserted the land for kharif sowing. Hence, a large chunk of land remained uncovered during kharif season. That area is expected to be utilised for mustard sowing. Since mustard does not require much quantity of water like wheat and gram, and the commodity can be grown with the available soil moisture and moderate temperature, that are available so far this year, the oilseed is expected to remain farmers’ best choice for rabi season.
Importantly, farmers realised about 7 per cent more during 2008 with average realisation at Rs 2,500 a quintal as compared to Rs 2,350 a quintal during the previous season.
Meanwhile, the decline in area under groundnut during the kharif season is expected to recover partly in the rabi season. Area under rabi groundnut crop is expected to rise 15-20 per cent or 2-3 lakh ha to 17-18 lakh ha as against 15 lakh ha in the same season previous year. Area under the second largest kharif oilseed (after soybean), is estimated to slump by 16.81 per cent or 8.89 lakh ha to 44 lakh ha in 2009-10 as compared to 52.89 lakh ha in the previous year. The trend for oilseed production in India is changing fast as the country is now becoming a rabi oilseed producer than the traditionally acclaimed status of a major kharif seed grower, said Atul Chaturvedi, chief executive officer of Adani Wilmer Ltd, the producer of Fortune brand edible oil.
Total oilseed production during the kharif season is estimated at 13.1 million tonnes, a decline of 600,000 tonnes or 5 per cent from the previous year’s output at 13.7 million tonnes.