Rabi oilseed crop up 62%:COOIT

The estimate of the rabi oilseed crop for the 2003-2004 season has been revised upwards by 61.95 per cent to 99.6 lakh tonne from 61.5 lakh tonne last year, Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade (COOIT) data indicated.

The rapeseed and mustard crops were expected to rise 103. 03 per cent to 67 lakh tonne from 33 lakh tonne last year and groundnut to 17 lakh tonne from 14.7 lakh tonne (total in shells).

This year, the oil recovery in rape and mustard oil would be higher by 1.5 per cent compared to a normal year.

The estimates of sunflower seed, sesame seed and linseed crops have also been increased but the safflower crop was expected to fall from 2 lakh tonne to 1.9 lakh tonne.

At the seminar on 'Oilseeds and oil trade held in New Delhi on 14 March, the kharif crop estimate was revised downward by 3.5 lakh tonne to 138.9 lakh tonne.

The groundnut crop estimate was cut by 3 lakh tonne to 53 lakh tonne (with shells) and sesame by 50,000 tonne to 5.5 lakh tonne.

The combined kharif and rabi oilseed crop was estimated at 238.5 lakh tonne compared with 149.6 lakh tonne last year, up 59.42 per cent.

Among secondary sources, oil availability from rice bran was expected to rise from six lakh tonne to 6.5 lakh tonne, and double from rapeseed cake and groundnut cake almost doubled.

Estimates from rapeseed cake were up to 1.5 lakh tonne from 80,000 tonne the previous year and groundnut cake to 1.2 lakh tonne from 60,000 tonne. Sunflower cake would fall to 50,000 tonne from 1 lakh tonne.

Total vegetable oil availability from primary and secondary sources was tipped to touch 77.8 lakh tonnes from 51.2 lakh tonne last year.

The estimate for cottonseed bales was revised downward to 165 lakh tonne from 175 lakh tonne bales estimated earlier. Correspondingly, cottonseed oil availability decreased by 40,000 tonnes to 4.8 lakh tonnes from 5.2 lakh tonnes last year.