Oilseed acreage dips 5 per cent

Crop diversion from oilseeds to cotton and grains has resulted in a 5 per cent decline in acreage under oilseeds production this kharif season at 168.83 lakh hectare as compared with 176.81 lakh tonne last year.

The decline in acreage is estimated to see a drop in oilseeds output by 18 per cent less this kharif season to 36 lakh tonne as against 44 lakh tonne last year.

A majority of groundnut farmers in Gujarat have taken up the highly lucrative cotton cultivation, while farmers in Andhra Pradesh could not sow oilseeds owing to lack of adequate rains in July.

"Erractic rains in the oilseed-sowing season forced farmers to divert their crop to other lucrative crops, including wheat. With a short supply of wheat, farmers in Andhra Pradesh preferred to grow wheat than oilseeds," said B V Mehta, executive director of The Solvent Extractors' Association of India.

According to data provided by The Central Organisation for Oil Industry & Trade (COOIT), the acreage under soybean cultivation, however, increased by 4 per cent to 81.18 lakh hectare as against 78.01 lakh hectare last season.