Soybean Output Likely To Dip Due To Delayed Rains
The soybean production for the current kharif season is expected to be lower that regular production estimates on account of delayed rainfall but is also expected to be higher in quality and yield due better farming practices adopted by the farmers.
Soybean Processors Association of India (Sopa) , in its monthly synopsis, added that even with the delayed rainfall, the crop quality of the current season is likely to be good. Ordinarily this crop is continually infected by weeds and pests through its life, reducing the yield quality. For the current season, the infestation of weeds has been less which should bring about a better quality yield.
Due to the delay in the rainfall, the size of the crop could be less as the after planting, there was a prolonged dry spell, said Sopa. Also deep ploughing while planting will benefit the farmers, who have taken on new and improved methods in farming after recommendations from Sopa.
The association has also added that if the rains continue through the pod filling stage for the soybean crop namely the months of August and September, the kharif crop for 2002 would be better than those of the previous years. Kharif crop for 2002 would be better than those of the previous years.
The production till June 2002 , from November 2001, has been 2708,144.538 MT which has led to extraction of 2,220,212.305 MT and oil produced has been 483,315.122 MT.
Last year (April 2001-March 2002) saw a production of 4,150,740.198 MT, extraction of 3,391,972.181 MT and oil produced of 745,546.099 MT.
In oil imports, out of total imports from April 2002 of 1,774,333 MT, soybean oil was 624,350 MT.