Encouraged by record realisations last year, farmers expedited sowing of guar seeds as monsoon showers revived early this month, leading to an increase of about 20 per cent in the acreage of the temperate crop this kharif season.
As a result, the overall area under guar seed is estimated to have topped 3.5 million hectares (ha) this kharif, compared with 2.91 million ha last season.
The prices of both guar seed and gum have collapsed after hitting their respective record high levels of Rs 33,000 a quintal and Rs 1,03,000 a quintal in the first quarter of the current calendar year. The two are currently trading at Rs 5,000 a quintal and Rs 30,000 a quintal, respectively.
The monsoon rainfalls were delayed during the early guar-sowing season, especially the first fortnight of July. But, farmers in three major producing states – Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat – began by irrigating farm land through canals, rivers and wells, thereby covering around 1.5 million ha until the revival in the monsoon early this month. The remaining area was covered with the showers.
“The overall sowing area has gone up by at least 20 per cent this year. Lured by record high prices last year, farmers were keen to bring more area under this crop, amid expectations of better realisations than other crops even this season,” said All India Guargum Manufacturers Association President Purushottam Isaria.
According to a crop assessment report by Rama Industries, a Gujarat-based guar gum powder manufacturer and exporter, late rains improved the new crop situation and quantity. Sowing is complete in Haryana and acreage this season is expected to increase by three times over that the previous year. Report from Rajasthan’s agriculture department shows a marginal two per cent increase in area under guar seed until the second week of August, to 2.66 million ha, compared with 2.61 million in the corresponding period last year.
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During the second fortnight of August, however, the overall sowing area in Rajasthan surpassed the last year’s figures, said Vikas WSP Ltd Managing Director B D Agarwal. According to agricultural sources in Gujarat, acreage under guar seed in the state as on July this year was reported at 111,000 hectares, compared with 58,100 hectares in the same period last year.
Rajesh Kedia, a trader who deals in guar gum derivatives, forecasts the guar seed acreage this year to reach four million ha, against 2.9 million ha last year.
Guar is a temperate crop that requires four-five spells of intermittent rainfalls through its 90-day period. Deficient as well as excessive of rainfall affects this crop, leading to lower yield.
The ideal time for planting guar is the first fortnight of July. But, late sowing takes place even in the second fortnight of the month. Planting beyond July affects the overall yield.
“Even this season, less than half the sowing area was covered with mechanical irrigation facility. The remaining area was covered with the revival in monsoon rainfall. If the rainfall continues in the coming days, the yield would be better. In case of further dry spells in the remaining monsoon season, the yield would be hit severely. Therefore, we estimate guar seed output to remain at the same level as last year,” said Vikas WSP’s Agarwal.
Supporting his views, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture Director B Venkateswarlu said: “The delay in monsoon and late-season sowing will hit the overall yield. So, we cannot peg this year’s output at more than that last year.”
Agarwal believes the prices of both guar gum and seed would stabilise around their current levels.
Last year, the Union agriculture ministry had estimated the total guar seed output to be at 1.25 million tonnes.
India is a major exporter of guar-based derivatives that find their applications mainly in the oil drilling and food industries. The price of guar gum powder, according to traders, has now come down to $9,000 a tonne, from $24,000 a tonne around the same time last year.