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| Shortage of cummin for exports predicted:APMC |
| Press Trust Of India / Ahmedabad Mar 04, 2009, 00:11 IST |
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Jeera exports may be hit due to lower surplus of the crop even though there is an increase in acreage this year.
The shortage of crop at Unjha in Gujarat, Asia’s biggest spot market, is evident from the low arrival of jeera, traders said.
“We estimate this year’s total arrival at 21 lakh bags — 15 lakh bags from Gujarat and six lakh bags from Rajasthan,” Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Director Vishnu Patel said, adding the carryover stocks from last year’s crop is about six lakh bags. One bag contains 55 kg of jeera.
Since domestic consumption of jeera is estimated to be 24-25 lakh bags per annum, only 2-3 lakh bags will be available for export, he said.
The arrival of jeera begins from February and continues till April, but this year arrival started early, as the weather condition was not so conducive as compared to last year, an exporter said. Traders are expecting arrivals in April to drop.
“The crop yield has fallen in the two major growing states — Rajasthan and Gujarat — due to inclement weather conditions at the time of sowing. It was badly hit in Saurasthra region due to heavy rainfall in December last,” Patel said.
Currently, the daily arrival at the Unjha mandi (spot market) is being pegged at 20,000 bags while prices are ruling between Rs 2,000 and 2,100 per 20 kg bag.
The lower yield has affected the supply, even though the acreage under the crop increased to about 3.4 lakh hectares this season from 2.65 lakh hectares last year in Gujarat, as per trade estimates. The area coverage of jeera, however, dipped in Rajasthan to 1.90 lakh hectares from 2.20 lakh hectares, Patel said.
“Last year, arrival of jeera at Unjha was 23-24 lakh bags from Gujarat, and 7-8 lakh bags from Rajasthan, as the weather was highly conducive during the sowing period and subsequently the yield was high,” he said.
Jeera from Unjha is largely exported to European countries, besides USA, Indonesia, Japan and China, a trader said. But India’s export is largely dependent on the crop yield in other major growing countries like Syria, Turkey and Iran, he added.
The output of jeera in other producing countries begins to pour in by March-end and by that time the domestic production figure is also more realistic to take a final call on exports outlook from the country, he said.
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