Oilseed yield may rise 10 per cent on favourable climate

Edible oilseed production is likely to rise 10 per cent on favourable climatic conditions and better soil fertility.

Trade body, Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA), estimates say oilseed yield will rise to 1,050 kg per hectare (ha) this year, from 955 kg per ha last year. Financial year 2008 was a dream year for the oilseed industry in India that fetched an all-time high yield of 1,115 kg per ha.

“This year, the monsoon remained good and it is expected to fetch us better yield in the kharif season. Since unseasonal rainfall extended to December, rabi oilseed yield can also be forecast to remain better this year,” said B V Mehta, executive director of the SEA.

 

The acreage for oilseeds is normally 26-27 million hectare in the country, while productivity is barely 1,000 kg — half of the world average and one-third of the best.

In the next five years, however, per ha yield is estimated to rise between 1,200-1,300 kg as India requires to adopt genetically modified seeds sooner or later to meet the ever rising demand based on economic growth, said Mehta.
 

LOOKING UP Oilseed production and yield
Year	Area  (mn ha)	Production (mn tonnes)	Yield (kg/ha)
2005-06	27.86	27.98	1,004
2006-07	26.51	24.29	916
2007-08	26.69	29.76	1,115
2008-09	27.56	27.72	1,006
2009-10	26.11	24.93	955
2010-11	17.55*	15.40*	1,050
* Kharif season estimates

At present, edible oil prices is low due to “nil” import duty on crude oil and a marginal 7.5 per cent on refined oil. Once this duty is revised, edible oil prices is expected to go up and will encourage farmers to bring more area under oilseed production and manage the crop better.

India’s overall edible oil demand is expected to see a surge to 20.8 million tonnes by 2015 from the 15.6 million tonnes now. Of which, 10 million tonnes (6.5 million tonnes now) will be supplied from domestic sources while the remaining will be imported. The import share in India’s edible oil demand will rise marginally from 51 per cent now to 53 per cent by 2015, said Mehta.

The Central Organisation for Oil Industry & Trade (COOIT) estimated the total oilseed output to rise 12.5 per cent in the recently ended kharif season at a staggering 15.41 million tonnes as compared to 13.69 million tonnes in the same season last year. Higher production of oilseeds will also be supported by an overall increase in acreage.

Total acreage during the season is estimated at 17.55 million hectares (ha), a marginal increase from 17.49 million ha covered under major oilseeds during the last kharif season.

COOIT estimates the average yield to rise to 878 kg per ha this year, a rise of 12.13 per cent from an average 783 kg last year. COOIT estimated cottonseed production at 10.23 million tonnes at 33 million bales of cotton output this year as against 9.15 million tonnes and 29.5 million bales last year, respectively.