Oilseed production to touch 236 lakh tonne

Domestic oil industry has pegged oilseed output for the year 2005-06 at 236.2 lakh tonne compared with 221.8 lakh tonne last year. This estimate comprises this year's rabi (October-March) output at 102.7 lakh tonne compared with 98.2 lakh tonne last year and kharif (April-September) output at 133.5 lakh tonne compared with 123.6 lakh tonne last year.

At a seminar organised by the Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade (COOIT), industry pegged rapeseed-mustard output at 67.7 lakh tonne compared with 64.5 lakh tonne. Rajasthan's output will be at 32 lakh tonne compared with 29 lakh tonne last year.

The average oil content in mustard crop this year is expected at 40 per cent, compared with an average of 38.9 per cent last year, said Jyoti Kanda, president of North Rajasthan Oil Millers Association. Mustard harvest has just begun in Rajasthan and is expected to be in full swing after Holi.

Market players suggest that this year-on-year rise in mustard production will weigh on oilseed and edible oil prices as carry-over stock at about 20 lakh tonne is huge. Out of this, 16.4 lakh tonne is with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.

Huge mustard stock may weigh on edible oil imports in oil year 2005-06 (November-October). "Edible oil imports for oil year 2005-06 are estimated at 46 lakh tonne compared with 50 lakh tonne last year, including 21 lakh tonne of crude soyoil and 25 lakh tonne of palm oil," said Sandeep Bajoria, COOIT president.

Groundnut production for year 2005-06 is estimated at 64.5 lakh tonne compared with 60.7 lakh tonne year. This is led by a rise in output in Gujarat (19.5 lakh) and Andhra Pradesh (16.5 lakh).

Sunflower seed crop estimate for the year was pegged at 16.2 lakh tonne compared with 15.8 lakh tonne. This includes rabi estimate at 10.6 lakh tonne.

Sesameseed output was pegged at 6 lakh tonne compared with 7.2 lakh tonne last year. The drop in output was witnessed both in kharif and rabi, following a drop in acreage, said BV Mehta, executive director with The Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA).

Primarily rabi crops, safflowerseed and linseed output was estimated at 2.1 lakh tonne and 2 lakh tonne respectively.

At the seminar, COOIT also revised kharif output at 133.5 lakh tonne from previous estimate of 133.7 lakh tonne for the same period.

While estimates for soybean, castorseed and toria production was raised, that of groundnut saw a drop.

Soybean output estimate was raised to 65 lakh tonnes from the previous 61.6 lakh tonnes. The output in kharif 2004 is estimated at 58.5 lakh tonnes.

Castorseed crop estimate was raised to 9.1 lakh tonnes from the earlier 8.7 lakh. COOIT also raised estimate for toria to 2.5 lakh tonnes from the previous 1.5 lakh tonnes.

Groundnut output estimate, however, was cut to 46 lakh tonnes from the previous 51 lakh tonnes, compared with 44.5 lakh tonnes last kharif.