The Hindu Business Line : Onion heading for record production

ONION is heading for a record production this crop year (July 2004-June 2005), while that of potato is likely to be higher by one million tonnes (mt) than last year.

According to an Agriculture Ministry statement, onion production could hit 6 mt, up from last year's record of 5.46 mt. The record crop hopes follow a rise in the area under the horticulture crop. This year 4.35 lakh hectares (lh) have been brought under onion against 4.20 lh last year. The record coverage under onion was during 1999-2000 when 4.9 lh were under the crop.

Potato output is expected to be 25.67 mt against 24.46 mt last year. Potato production hit a record of 26.53 during 2003-04. The production is notwithstanding hailstorm and frost hitting key growing areas of Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. The area under potato was also 60,000 hectares higher than last year at 13.29 lh. The record area under potato was during 2002-03 when 13.69 lh were covered.

Despite these projections, prices of onion and potato have tended to rise last week. While potato prices have increased by Rs 500 a tonne, that of onion were up by Rs 200.

On the other hand, tomato production is likely to decline by two lakh tonnes to 7.4 mt. Its prices, too, have increased by Rs 200 a tonne in the last few days.

Meanwhile, the Ministry said the overall prospects of rabi crops were good in view of the prevailing winter rainfall and climate situation. The winter rainfall has, in particular, helped improve the storage levels in the reservoirs.

According to the Ministry, the storage level in 73 major reservoirs of the country is up four per cent compared with the same period a year ago. A week ago, it was lower by four per cent.

The current storage level in these reservoirs is 44.51 billion cubic metres, up 1.74 billion cubic metres over last year.

Figures with the Agriculture Ministry, that have been received late, show improvement in the coverage of foodgrains.

Wheat coverage is reported to be just about 23,000 hectares lower than last year, while area under rice is nearly up by 1 lh.

Figures for coarse cereals remain unchanged, whereas the gap seems to be widening in the case of pulses with the decline in the area under the crop rising to over three lh.

The area under oilseeds has also shown an increase by over 10 lh with coverage of rapeseed/mustard alone being up by 11.77 lh. Area under groundnut, sesamum, sunflower and linseed still lag behind.

Excess rainfall this winter

IT has been an unusual winter this time, what with Jammu and Kashmir witnessing snowfall that has been the heaviest in the last 20 years.

On the other hand, winter has seen excess rainfall too. Rainfall has been 74 per cent higher than what is received normally during the period. The average normal rainfall received during winter this yearhas been 55.5 mm.

Central India - covering Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Maharashtra and Gujarat - has been the major beneficiary of the rainfall, receiving 30 mm. The north-western part, which practically covers the northern States, has received 113.8 mm of rainfall, an excess of 84 per cent.

Rainfall recorded in the southern parts was 18.2 mm, an increase of 59 per cent, while the north-eastern part received 42.8 mm, seen almost same to the normal 38.1 mm.

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