The Hindu Business Line : Rabi oilseeds acreage slips, pulses sowing up

According to the Agriculture Ministry's latest data, the progressive area under rabi oilseeds, at 67.32 lakh hectares (lh), is below the 75.29 lh covered during this period last year and 69.12 lh the year before.

There has been a drop in area under rapeseed-mustard, sunflower, safflower and sesamum. The main mustard-growing States have reported lower acreages compared to last year: Rajasthan (from 27.53 lh to 26.75 lh), Uttar Pradesh (8.10 lh to 6.83 lh), Madhya Pradesh (7.95 lh to 5.90 lh) and Haryana (7.05 lh to 6.10 lh).

Substantially higher

On the other hand, the cumulative area sown under rabi pulses is substantially higher this time, at 69.85 lh, as against 61.77 lh in 2005 and 63.74 lh in 2004.

Planting of chana (chickpea or Bengal gram) is up by over 7.5 lh, led by Madhya Pradesh (from 16.5 lh to 18.08 lh), Karnataka (2.79 lh to 6.22 lh), Maharashtra (2.85 lh to 5.62 lh) and Andhra Pradesh (1.38 lh to 3.89 lh).

Traders say that the divergent acreage trend is mainly a result of price movements. Market prices of good quality mustardseed with 42 per cent oil content are currently ruling at around Rs 2,000 a quintal in Jaipur, while the state-owned Nafed is selling from its stocks at Rs 1,850-1,875 a quintal.

"This is the off-season when there are no supplies in the market and the new crop is to arrive only from end-February. Even then, prices are just a tad over the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,715 per quintal fixed by the Union Government," they pointed out.

It is quite the opposite for pulses. Desi chana is now quoting at Rs 2,800-2,850 per quintal, which is way above the MSP of Rs 1,415.

"Prices are almost twice what they were at this time last year. So, farmers are being encouraged to grow more pulses and replace mustard with wheat and chana", the traders added.

More Stories on : Cultivation | Oilseeds & Edible Oil | Pulses

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