Sunflower seed price to remain static: TNAU

The farm gate price of sunflower seed will hover around Rs 3,500 to 3,600 per quintal during April-May and farmers are advised to take their selling decision based on this, while there is limited chance for increase in the tapioca prices.
The econometric analysis and traders survey carried out by the Agro Marketing Intelligence and Business Promotion Centre of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, at Vellakoil Regulated Market of the 15 years' prevailing prices, revealed that the prices will remain static, without much increase.
Considering this, farmers are recommended to sell their produce accordingly, it said.
In Tamil Nadu, sunflower was grown in an area of 9,000 hectare with a production of 13,000 tonnes in 2014-15 and the major growing districts are Erode, Karur, Ottanchathiram, Palani, Dindugal, Tirupur and Virudhunagar, with Vellakovil being important trading centre.

The Centre, in its analysis on tapioca prices, prevailing in Salem market for the last 15 years, said there was little and limited chance of price increase and during harvest months, the farm gate price of the rain fed tapioca will be in the range of Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per tonne.
Tapioca is cultivated in an area of 2.28 lakh hectare in India, with a total production of 4.37 million tonne during 2014-15 and is largely cultivated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, parts of Nagaland, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Assam.
Tapioca harvest commences from October and extends till February for the rain fed crop, it added.

Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Salem are the major tapioca cultivating districts in Tamil Nadu and planting normally takes place during November-December as a rain fed crop and during March-April in irrigated condition.