Edible oilseed sowing area up marginally

Extended oilseed sowing due to the late revival of monsoon heralded a 2.31 per cent jump in area this kharif season until September 5, data compiled by the Union Ministry of Agriculture showed.

The overall sowing area of 17.46 million hectares (ha), as against 17.06 million ha at the same time last year, shows a 10 per cent growth from the normal area of 15.89 million ha.

Increasing demand for soybean meal in the export markets provoked farmers to dedicate more area to soybean this year. The total area under this largest-consuming edible oilseed jumped 9.32 per cent to 9.53 million ha from 8.72 million ha on favourable monsoon during the second half of August, especially in the rain deficit areas of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the two largest producers of the commodity.

According to data compiled by Soybean Processors Association (SOPA), total exports of soybean meal in August 2008 leaped 354.43 per cent to 212,310 tonnes as against 46,720 tonnes in the same month last year.

During August, India exported soymeal mainly to Vietnam and Japan. Shipments to Vietnam increased almost five times this month, while exports to Japan were recorded at 51,168 tonnes as against nil in the comparable month last year.

The exports of soybean meal between April and August this year perked up by 195.40 per cent to 1.6 million tonnes as compared to 540,144 tonnes in the same period last year.

The export of soybean meal during the oil year (October-September) basis shows a good performance. The exports in the period October ’07- August ’08 stood at 4.81 million tonnes as compared to 3.3 million tonnes over the same period last year, registering a 45.93 per cent growth .
 

EXTRA DEMAND Progress in sowing of kharif oilseed crop as on Sept 5
Oilseed	Area	2007	2008	% change
Groundnut	53.54	51.78	50.8	-1.89
Soybean	72.54	87.26	95.39	9.32
Sesamum	14.48	15.12	13.84	-8.47
Nigerseed	3.82	2.63	2.4	-14.11
Sunflower	7.59	7.14	5.38	24.65
Castorseed	7.01	6.74	6.81	1.04
Total	158.98	170.67	174.62	2.31
Figures in lakh hectare

Meanwhile, farmers were found keen to cover the additional area under castorseed which saw a marginal rise of one per cent to 681,000 ha as against 674,000 ha in the comparable period last year.

Interestingly, a couple of states including the major edible oilseed producer Maharashtra announced a drought-like situation in the absence of early monsoon rains, which threatened availability of seed for crushing. Apparently, edible oil consumers also feared higher prices of vegetable oil this year. But, higher acreage, though marginally, would provide them a sigh of relief, said an analyst.