Unfavourable weather conditions have taken its toll on many Kharif crops this year and isabgul (psyllium husk) is no exception. Isabgul output is likely to register some improvement following higher acreage this year. However, traders see no substantial rise in production as erratic weather is expected to have an adverse impact on isabgul yield.
Isabgul acreage in 2008-09 is estimated to have surged by 15 per cent largely on account of a noticeable increase in the area under the crop in Rajasthan, the largest isabgul producing state in the country. Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are the other main centres for isabgul in India.
“Isabgul output will be tad higher, around 1.2 million bags (one bag weighing 75 kgs), as compared to 1.1 million bags across the country in 2007-08,” said Jitesh Patel of Siddhpur based Keyur Industries, a leading isabgul processor based in Gujarat.
“Though the acreage is higher, there will be no quantum jump in production. Unfavourable weather at the time of sowing and thereafter is likely to affect the isabgul yield in all the three states,” said Vishnu Patel, owner of Son Psyllium Industries based in Unjha, one of the main isabgul trading centers in Gujarat.
“Winter was not cold enough to support higher yield. Humid weather conditions during winter has hit jeera, turmeric, pepper, wheat and many other Kharif crops this year. The average yield of isabgul hovered around 240-300 kgs per acre last year. However, it is expected to be lower this year due to unfavourable weather,” added Patel, who is also a director at Unjha APMC.
According to traders, isabgul acreage has surged to 90,000 to 95,000 hectares in Rajasthan, which stood around 80,000 hectares last year.
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On an average Rajasthan reports isabgul production of 700,000 bags every year. However, the production in the neighbouring state stood at 650,000 bags due to lower isabgul acreage in 2007-08. Rajasthan had brought under 115,000 lakh hectares under isabgul crop in 2006-07.
Area under Isabgul in Gujarat, which produced 300,000 bags of isabgul last year, has dipped to 17,400 hectares from 24,000 hectares this year, said officials in Gujarat state agriculture department. As far as Madhya Pradesh in concerned, it offloaded 200,000 bags of isabgul output last year, which included 75,000 bags of carryforward stock.
This year the production is expected to be 175,000 bags but MP has no carryforward stock for the current season.