Rains, cotton cultivation hit Gujarat's sesame crop

Excessive rains and unprecedented cotton crop cultivation have hit sesame cultivation across Gujarat, particularly in the Saurashtra region. This year, the state's sesame production is estimated to fall short by 50,000 million tonne (mt) from the level registered in the previous year.

The sesame cultivation, which gained momentum on the back of scanty rainfall in the region over the past few years, is gradually declining, following excessive rains in the last two years.

"Sesame is a highly weather-sensitive crop. Less rainfall registered in the last few years across the Saurashtra-Kutch region helped increase sesame cultivation in the region. However, for the last two years, decline has been registered in cultivation of sesame crop," Dinesh Tanna of Rajkot-based Tirupati Agro Exports said.

Besides, cultivation of improvised category of cotton "� BT cotton "� has also played a role in reducing sesame crop cultivation, of late. This was because the kind of gains farmers made in cotton cultivation was far higher than that in cultivation of sesame seeds, he added. Last year, sesame crop across the country was estimated at 3.25-3.50 lakh mt, but this year, it is likely to touch only 2.75-3.00 lakh mt. Last year, Gujarat "� with the Saurashtra region in particular "� touched the 1.00-1.10 lakh mt mark.

But mainly because of the two aforesaid factors, the sesame output, this year, may manage to touch only 45,000-50,000 mt. "Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are expected to produce an estimated 1.80 lakh mt of sesame seeds. Gujarat will contribute 45,000-50,000 mt, followed by Rajasthan with 30,000-35,000 mt and south comprising states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka with another 30,000-35,000 mt crop," said Suresh Chandarana, a Rajkot-based international broker dealing in agro commodities.

With the demad for sesame crop growing in overseas markets, more than 90 per cent of produce is exported mainly to European, south-east Asian and Middle East countries.

With the shortfall in the cultivation of sesame crop registered and expected this year, prices are likely to flare up in three-four months."Prices of sesame seeds are quoted mainly for mix and hulled types, wherein a majority of them are linked to white seeds and a meagre number is linked to red seeds for the mix type "� meaning 99/1 or 98/2 "� while 98 or 99 is linked to white seeds and 1 or 2 is linked to red seeds," said Bharat Sonpal of Amreli-based Sonpal Exports.

At present, 99/1 and 98/2 are quoted at Rs 31,500-Rs 32,000 per mt and Rs 30,500-Rs 31,000 per mt, respectively. In hulled sesame seeds, sunrise-sorted and auto dry-sorted are selling at Rs 41,000 per mt and Rs 42,500 per mt, respectively, Tanna said.

According to a trade estimate, good crop conditions in states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh "� the absence of factors such as excessive rains and excess cotton cultivation in these states "� will let markets operate at sustainable price points and margins in the current scenario.

However, prices are likely to flare up in another three-four months by at least Rs.4,000 in each category.

"� Sesame being weather-sensitive crop, excessive rains hit its cultivation in Gujarat

"� Besides, availability of BT cotton makes farmers divert towards cotton cultivation

"� The state is estimated to witness a cultivation deficit of 50,000 mt this year

"� With deficit registered in cultivation, prices likely to flare by Rs 4,000 per mt in another 3-4 months

"� Other states not cultivating cotton in excess and having scanty rainfall should match the demand-supply gap