The Hindu Business Line : Kharif groundnut output seen down

GROUNDNUT in-shell production during kharif season is unlikely to exceed 45 lakh tonnes going by the latest available acreage and crop progress reports from various regions. This would be at least 8 lt lower than the 53 lt harvested during kharif 2003 as estimated by the trade.

Currently, some of the areas, especially in Gujarat, are facing the threat of excessive rains, according to scientists monitoring the crop progress.

``Bright daylight is the need of the day as continued cloud cover and lack of sunshine creates conditions conducive to pest attack,'' they averred.

Widespread and continual rainfall has occurred since the end of July in almost all regions of the country, bringing tremendous relief to farmers who were facing the spectre of drought following a four-week long dry spell from end-June.

Acreage for groundnut crop is estimated at about 55-56 lakh hectares. There is no likelihood of any fresh sowing of groundnut crop. Weather aberrations are likely to affect yields which even otherwise are less than one tonne per hectare.

Assuming normal weather from now on, the copious August rains are expected to brighten the prospects for rabi (summer harvest) planting.

The country typically harvests 15-17 lt of groundnut in-shell during rabi season (March/April).

Attempts should be made to increase the area for Rabi groundnut which can to some extent make up for the loss during the kharif season, experts pointed out adding that productivity enhancement in oilseeds is indeed a daunting task and it calls for a large measure of non-price and non-trade initiatives.