Less rains to affect kharif oilseed sowing in Gujarat

Deficient rains in Gujarat are likely to cast an adverse impact on the kharif oilseed crop sowing, industry experts said here on Monday.

"There is hardly any rain in Gujarat. Deficient rains will have lot of impact on oilseeds sowing in the state, a major producer," Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade's (COOIT) crop estimate committee convenor GG Patel said.

"Around 30-35 per cent of groundnut sowing has only taken place so far, and now it is getting late, since it is a delicate crop," he said.

There is 59 per cent deficient rain in Gujarat so far. Against estimates of 232 mm of rainfall by now in state there has been only 94 mm rains recorded from June 1 till date, a regional Indian Meteorological Department official said.

According to Patel, this year when estimates were that acreage under groundnut shall increase in Gujarat, but due to late and less rain in the state the area could dip.

"Prospects for oilseed states is not optimistic," Patel said adding that 60-65 per cent sowing of soyabean has been reported from Madhya Pradesh. Data gathered uptill last week shows that groundnut sowing has been done in 3.95 lakh hectares in Gujarat as compared to 6.56 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year, a state agriculture department official said.

The total sowing of oil seed crops so far is around 4.15 lakh hectare in Gujarat, including seasum, he said.

"Since past two years the trend is that it begins to rain from July and gradually sowing picks up, and we expect a similar situation this year," he said. The total acreage under groundnut last year was over 14.33 lakh hectare. Gujarat accounts for around 17-19 lakh MT of groundnut production annually.