 "rapeseed")
The latest production estimate for rapeseed-mustard during the current rabi season is down 3.7 per cent at the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), with a decline in sowing and productivity.
While acreage fell 0.06 per cent, yield in terms of kg per hectare decreased 5.7 per cent. As against total production of 6.57 million tonnes in the country during 2016-17, that for the current year is 6.33 mt. The area sown is estimated at 6.412 million hectares in 2017-18.
Yield, from 7,399 per kg last year, is an estimated 6,979 kg in 2017-18.
According to G G Patel, convenor of the SEA's oilseeds estimate committee, seven survey teams of about 50 members went out. They toured the major growing districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, among others, during February 21-27.
"The teams visited a large number of mandis (wholesale markets) in these states, had a number of meetings with traders, commission agents and farmers, and carried out a number of field visits to arrive at a provisional estimate," he said.
Among the growing states, UP, Punjab/Haryana and West Bengal saw an increase in production estimates by 15.1 per cent, 12 per cent and 30.8 per cent, respectively, with a rise in area under the crop. Rajasthan, the largest producer, is estimated to see a decline of 16.9 per cent in production, from 2.95 mt in 2016-17 to 2.45 mt. The result of a 17 per cent fall in sowing from last year, to about 2.13 mn ha.
