Date:20/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/03/20/stories/2007032005261200.htm

Back Area under rabi oilseeds down 11%

Our Bureau

Chennai March 19 The area under rabi oilseeds is estimated to have declined by 11.62 per cent this year with just 100 lakh hectares coming under the crop against 112.42 lakh hectares last year.

This has resulted in the overall crop size being reduced to 95.2 lakh tonnes from 102.7 lakh tonnes, according to estimates made at the 28th All-India seminar on rabi oilseeds during the weekend.

Maximum decline

Rapeseed-mustard in the crop that has shown the maximum decline in acreage. Its coverage has declined by 7.4 lakh hectares resulting in the crop being down to 60.2 lakh tonnes (from 66.7 lakh tonnes last year).

But one bright spot from the estimates is that forecast for oilseed production this year has been raised by over three lakh tonnes to 131.5 lakh tonnes from the initial estimates made in January.

Alarming dip

Coverage of the groundnut crop, which had declined alarmingly during kharif as farmers in Gujarat shifted to cotton, has remained at the same level as last year. Overall, groundnut production this oil year is seen declining to 53.5 lakh tonnes (62.5 lakh tonnes).

The estimate also saw the forecast being raised for soyabean and castorseed but cut for sesame and nigerseed. In the case of soyabean, a kharif crop, the production is now estimated at 76.6 lakh tonnes against earlier projection of 72.6 lakh tonnes. In the case of sesame, the output has been cut by 0.2 lakh tonnes to four lakh tonnes; for castorseed it is up by 0.6 lakh tonnes to 7.8 lakh tonnes; and down for niger seed to 0.7 lakh tonnes from one lakh tonnes.

Saving grace

The saving grace this year has been increased oil recover in cottonseed and castor seed. Oil content in cottonseed is seen up 12 per cent this year from 11 per cent last year, while in the case of castor, the recovery is projected at 45 per cent. As a result, cottonseed oil production is now projected up at 89 lakh tonnes from the previous 85 lakh tonnes, while ricebran oil output is also estimated higher at 7.5 lakh tonnes.

Total vegetable oil availability from kharif and rabi crops for the oil year (November 2006-October 2007) is now projected at 772. lakh tonnes against 80.3 lakh tonnes last year.