Poor rains in Maharashtra mar high soybean output hope

Farmers will have to resow soybean in 20-25 per cent of total covered area in Maharashtra because of irregular showers, said Ajay Balotia, a Nagpur-based soybean trader.

"The (soybean) seeds sown have dried up due to lack of water," said another Nagpur-based trader.

Industry officials and traders had expected Maharashtra to better last year's soybean production of 3.2 million tonnes, and estimated this year's output at 4 million tonnes. Their estimates were based on timely arrival of monsoon. But monsoon, which set in over Kerala on May 31, has since moved in an erratic manner.

"This year, the estimated target of 4 million tonnes (of soybean output in Maharashtra) may not be achieved," Balotia said.

India produced 9.99 million tonnes of soybean last year, of which Madhya Pradesh alone produced over 5 million tonnes from 4.7 million hectares farm land. Area under soybean cultivation in Maharashtra was projected to increase by 15 per cent this kharif season (Jun-Sep), as farmers got higher returns for their produce last year.

Soybean acreage in Maharashtra last year was 2.65 million hectares, according to data from the state department of agriculture.

"Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are the main (oilseed) crop areas which have been affected (by irregular monsoon showers). If there is no rain in the near future, the output will decrease," said B V Mehta, executive director of Solvent Extractors Association of India.

Vidarbha and Marathawada regions in Maharashtra were worst hit with 23 per cent and 62 per cent rain deficit, respectively, as on July 14, according to meteorology department Web site.

However, Madhya Pradesh, the largest producer of soybean, has sent positive signals with timely rains, and good progress in sowing, traders said.

"We don't have a problem of rain here. In some fields, crops are a month-old now," said O P Khandelwal, an Indore-based soybean trader.

Reports also said irregular monsoon was affecting sowing process in oilseed regions in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Central and southern parts of India get rains because of low pressures that are formed in the Bay of Bengal. But this year the currents have not surfaced yet.

The low pressure in Bay of Bengal is expected to form by July-end, D Sivananda Pai, director of India Meteorological Department in Pune, said.

India Meteorological Department on June 30 revised its projection of this year's southwest monsoon to 100 per cent of long period average from 99 per cent made in April.