Madhya Pradesh soya output seen at record high

State claims to attain record production of soyabean have stunned processors which according to them are 'shocking and unbelievable'. The commissioner land records has projected 82 lakh ton of soya production this year against last year’s 64.97 lakh ton produced last year. However acreage posted a minuscule increase from 57.86 lakh hectare to 60.62 lakh hectare.

The state land records in its third and final forecast has project soya yield at 1,363 kg per hectare against 1123 kg per hectare. Speaking to Business Standard SOPA spokesperson Rajesh Agrawal said, “Since acreage of soya has not gone up and yield may not go up as high, it is unbelievable.” On the other hand the agriculture officials do not subscribe to what SOPA says.

“We have initiated ridge and furrow method in soyabean. Ridge and furrow topography was a result of ploughing with non-reversible ploughs on the same strip of land each year. Farmers do planting on the top or side of the ridge made in their fields and a certain depth at a certain distance. In this method, the rainwater is conserved in the furrow and avoids water logging. Make sure that soil has fully charged with rainwater or irrigation to ensure good and uniform germination and seedling emergence. More and more farmers are using it which is why our output is higher than the previous year,” said D N Sharma, director, agriculture department.

Madhya Pradesh grows 80% of the soyabean of the country and the processors consume almost all soya grown in domestic fields. Barring last year the acreage and productivity remain stagnant and hovers between 50 lakh hectare and 50-55 lakh tonne of production. In year 2008-09 the soyabean acreage stood at 52.95 lakh hectare with productivity stands at 59.24 lakh ton with an yield of 1,120 kg per hectare.

Similarly in 2009-10 the acreage was 54.54 lakh hectare but production improved slightly better at 64.28 lakh ton at 1,180 kg per hectare. During 2010-11 the production stood at 67.77 lakh ton from an acreage of 55.52 lakh hectare with an yield of 1,222 kg per hectare. The year 2011-12 witnessed a record production in agriculture when growth rate stood at 18.91% in farm sector. The soyabean production during the year also healthy at 64.97 lakh ton from an acreage of 57.86 lakh hectare with an average yield of 1,123 kg per hectare.