The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has estimated a record castor seed production of 1.61 million tonnes in India for 2011-12 season (October-September), showing a growth of about 30 per cent over 1.25 million tonnes recorded last year.
In its Castor Crop Survey: 2011-12, conducted by Nielson India, SEA maintained that total area under castor crop for 2011-12 has increased by 34 per cent over last year to 1.15 million hectares.
The sharp increase in castor acreage was attributed to farmers' preference over other crops like cotton, wheat and groundnut mainly due to better returns. However, national average yield is likely to dip by three per cent to 1417 kg per hectares against 1453 kg per hectare. Low rainfall, joined with pest attack in castor growing regions, is believed to have hampered productivity.
The central government's second advanced estimate for castor seed production is put at around 2.34 million tonne, against the targeted 1.39 million tonne of castor seed production in the country.
According to the survey, which was released on Saturday, Gujarat's castor seed production is estimated to swell up by 36 per cent to 1.22 million tonne with a rise in the acreage of about 44 per cent to 697,000 hectares. This is considered as the highest ever production of castor seed in the history of Gujarat.
"In Gujarat, the crop shift was seen mostly in cotton, wheat and jeera. However, the average yield in the state for the season is likely to be lower at around 1760 kg per hectare, against 1863 kg per hectare recorded last year. This is mainly on account of shortage of water, pests attack and late beginning of winter in the key castor growing regions in the state," Naresh Pednekar, executive director at Nielson said, while releasing the survey.
Castor seed production in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh is likely to rise by 15 per cent and 11 per cent to 207,000 tonnes and 156,000 tonnes respectively. Other states are likely to produce 30,000 tonnes of castor seed.
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Since castor crop has multiple picking rounds, the estimates for total production are likely to be revised accordingly after two picking. The weather condition, in major castor growing regions during past two months, has been fluctuating and is feared to mark a dent in the castor output estimates.
"We will revise the estimates (for castor seed production) after two rounds of picking at a later stage," added Pednekar. Meanwhile, robust production estimate is feared to affect prices. During the discussion on the price outlook for castor seed at the forum, experts maintained that prices may remain steady to firm during the first half of the year. But as supplies would start mounting, the prices may soften in the second half.