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The production of oilseeds, excluding cottonseed, in Gujarat for 2013-14 is estimated to be around 4.25 million tonnes compared to last year's 2.26 million tonnes, according to the latest data released by the Central Organisation for Oil Industry & Trade (COOIT).
Apart from castor seed, whose production is likely to see a slight slump this year in comparison to last year because of reduced sowing area, production of groundnut, soybean, sesame and rape/mustard/toria oilseeds is estimated to be higher than last year.
The COOIT report further says that oilseed production during kharif and rabi season will be around 4.24 million tonnes in 2013-14, higher than last year, which saw production of around 2.24 million tonnes.
Due to good monsoon and favourable weather conditions in the state, the area under rabi crop has increased this year.
According to study report of COOIT, groundnut production is likely to be about 2.78 million tonnes in this fiscal year as against last year's 8,55,000 tonnes. The report estimated kharif production of groundnut to be around 2.5 million tonnes and rabi production of the same to be around 2,86,000 tonnes in Gujarat.
The second highest production has been estimated for rapeseed/mustard,which is expected to be about 4,80,000 tonnes as against 3,10,000 tonnes in 2012-13.
As per the report, sesame seed production in Gujarat was about 43,000 tonnes in 2012-13 while this year it will be about 75,000 tonnes. The report mentioned that kharif sesame seed production has been lower than rabi this year because of damage to the crop owing to heavy rain at the end of the monsoon.
Production of Kharif sesame seed is estimated to be around 20,000 tonnes while that of rabi sesame seed production may be around 55,000 tonnes in the state.
While production of most of the oil seeds have been estimated to be higher, castor seed production has seen a slight slump due to reduced sowing area. The report says that production of castor seed last year was 9,67,000 tonnes and this year, it is likely to be 8,28,000 tonnes in Gujarat.
COOIT report estimated production of soybean in the state to be around 80,000 tonnes this year as against last year's production of 70,000 tonnes.
