"This year in the beginning, with the declaration of normal monsoon and good price for oilseeds, farmers were encouraged to expand area. However, the monsoon has behaved the other way. Deficient rainfall in 13 out of 36 meteorological divisions of the country have affected the prospects of the kharif crop, particularly in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu," Solvent Extractors Association of India's President, Ashok Sethia, said.
Maharashtra is the worst affected. 16 districts in Maharashtra, mostly growing soybean crop, are declared as drought-prone areas, Sethia said.
Earlier, IMDs second forecast for 2008 South-West Monsoon season (June-September) released on June 30, 2008, retained its earlier forecast of near normal monsoon and likely to be 100 per cent of the long period average with satisfactory spatial distribution of the south-west monsoon.
In the beginning, it was expected that this year a larger area would go for sowing of soybean in Maharashtra and that 100 lakh tonnes of soybean production would be crossed.
Deficient rain in the major oilseeds growing states
