The Hindu Business Line : Record soyabean, cotton crop in offing

New Delhi, July 22 If acreage trends are any indication, the country may be headed for yet another record harvest of soyabean and cotton, the two crops that have shown maximum dynamism in an overall lacklustre agricultural environment.

Production

During 2006-07, domestic soyabean production scaled an all-time high of 8.86 million tonnes (mt), a three-and-a-half times jump over the 2.60 mt of 1990-91.

Even more impressive has been cotton, the production of which, after hovering at 9-12 million bales through much of the nineties, rose to 22.7 million bales last year.

Soyabean

The news so far this year suggests new records being established for both crops.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, a total area of 71.67 lakh hectares (lh) have till now been sown under soyabean, which is more than the 67.45 lh covered in the same period last year.

Acreages have gone up from 39.26 to 40.65 lh in Madhya Pradesh and from 20.08 to 21.80 lh in Maharashtra.

Germination

“The germination has been excellent and we have been having good rains interspersed with sunshine, which is beneficial for growth”, claimed Mr Rajesh Agrawal, Coordinator of the Indore-based Soyabean Processors Association of India (SOPA).

Cotton

In cotton, too, the progressive acreage, at 72.28 lh, is substantially higher than the corresponding 64.17 lh of 2006. Maharashtra (29.34 against 27.63 lh), Gujarat (12.5 versus 9.54 lh), Andhra Pradesh (8.68 versus 5.49 lh), Punjab (6.48 versus 6.07 lh) and Rajasthan (3.5 versus 3.05 lh) have reported increased planting.

Acreage

“Central India may see a net decline of about one lh. There has been poor germination in some areas, necessitating re-sowing in 6.5-7 lh, which may not be fully covered because not all farmers can afford the high seed costs (of Bt cotton).

“But in other parts, we had not had any major problems and total acreage could be as high or more than the previous year”, said Dr K.R. Kranti of the Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur.

Bt cotton

Mr Raju Barwale, Managing Director of Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company, was even more bullish.

“Last year, Bt cotton covered 85-90 lakh acres.

This time, we expect it to jump to 150-160 lakh acres out of the country’s total cotton area of 220 lakh acres-plus.

That would give a further boost to production, not counting the overall higher crop acreage”, he told Business Line.

While a bumper crop is good news, the fact that it is combined with remunerative prices makes things even better for the farmer.

Prices

Yellow soyabean is currently selling at Rs 1,640-1,650 per quintal in Indore, compared to last year’s Rs 1,260-1,280 at this time and the official support price of Rs 1,020. H-4 cotton is likewise fetching almost Rs 20,000 a candy, against last year’s Rs 17,000 (one candy equals 355.62 kg).

Again, in both crops, the high prices have been mainly due to resurgent exports.

Between 2004-05 and 2006-07, cotton exports have zoomed from 9.14 lakh bales to 48 lakh bales, while soya-meal shipments have risen from 19.72 lakh tonnes to 41.96 lakh tonnes.

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Record soyabean, cotton crop in offing