Soybean sowing in MP, Maharashtra may be delayed

The sowing operations for soybean could be delayed as major producing states Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra might not receive adequate rain during this month, according to industry body.
The Met department has predicted a normal monsoon in 2017, raising hopes of bumper production during 2017-18 crop year (July-June).
"The monsoon is not developing in normal way and it is likely that monsoon advance may bypass the important soybean producing states like Madhya Pradesh and Eastern Maharashtra and they may not get adequate rains in June. This may delay sowing operations," Solvent Extractors' Association President Atul Chaturvedi told its members.
The monsoon rain has been erratic so far and temperatures are still hot in north-western India and several parts of central India, he added.

"IMD during the current year has highlighted a 'peculiar' progress of the monsoon which can have far reaching consequences for our oilseed crops. They have observed that because of this peculiar movement, monsoon seems to be travelling directly from the south to the north bypassing central part of India," Chaturvedi said.
Soybean is a major Kharif oilseeds crop mostly grown in Madhya Pradesh, which is witnessing huge protest from farmers, who are seeking loan waivers and remunerative price for their crops. The country produced 14.01 million tonnes of soybean in 2016-17 crop year.