Oilseed output seen up 49% in 2003-04

The latest oilseed production estimates compiled by a research body of the vanaspati industry project this year's total oilseed output at 23.75 million tonnes, about 7.8 million tonnes or 49 per cent higher than last year. However, there will still be a net gap of about 4.5 million tonnes in the domestic output and requirement of edible oils.

The estimates for 2003-04 were released today by the Vanaspati Manufacturers' Association (VMA) Oilseeds Research and Development Institute.

The oilseed output in the current rabi season has been projected at 9.6 million tonnes, some 3.46 million tonnes (56 per cent) higher than last season's 6.14 million tonnes.

The production in the kharif crop harvested earlier in the year has been put at 14.15 million tonnes, about 4.34 million tonnes (44 per cent) higher than previous season's 9.81 million tonnes.

The output of toria crop harvested in November has been included in the estimates for the kharif season.

Rapeseed-mustard is the most important crop of rabi season. The other crops of the season include groundnut, safflower, sunflower, sesamum and linseed.

The standing crop of rapeseed and mustard is currently in pod-filling to maturity stages in different parts. The early planted crop, around Gwalior and some other areas in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, has already been harvested.

In some pockets of Assam and West Bengal, crop harvesting operations have commenced. Arrival of fresh oilseed crops has also been reported in mandis of some other states as well, the VMA report points out.

The total area under rapeseed-mustard has expanded in the current rabi season to 5.89 million tonnes from 4.78 million tonnes in the last season.

This was due largely to good rainfall and soil moisture status at the time of sowing in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat.

The standing crop benefited from the rains in December and January in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. The seed has become bold due to favourable weather.

In the case of rabi groundnut, the sowing is over in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Orissa. However, it is still in progress in parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra and West Bengal. The condition of the standing crop is reported to be normal.

The area under safflower is estimated to be around 350,000 hectares, almost the same as last year. But the output is expected to be about 48,000 tonnes higher due to better crop condition.

Sunflower acreage is estimated to have risen this year by about 237,000 hectares to 1.09 million hectares. However, the sunflower seed production is expected to surge appreciably to 1.12 million tonnes, against last season's 0.68 million tonnes.

In the case of sesamum, too, though the increase in acreage is only about 66,000 hectares, the output is projected to rise from last season's 78,000 tonnes to over 114,000 tonnes this year.

Linseed output, too, is estimated to rise from last season's 240,000 tonnes to 414,000 tonnes this year, thanks to both expansion of area and better crop yield.