The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University is advising farmers to sow groundnut this season (Adipattam), treat seeds with fungicide and apply gypsum before flowering, which could be after 45–50 days of sowing to reap best returns at harvest.

Farm University researchers, who analysed the price movement in the Tindivanam Regulated Market foresee the price of the groundnut kernel to touch Rs 44-46/kg during the harvest period (October–November).

Citing reports, the researchers pointed out that the total oilseed production in India during 2010-11 was estimated at 39 million tonnes with groundnut at eight million tonnes, soybean at 9.8 million tonnes, rape/mustard seed at seven million tonnes, cotton seed and copra at 10.8 million tonnes and others at 3.4 million tonnes.

Rising consumption

“The per capita consumption is rising by 3-4 per cent (13.5 kg) and there was huge demand supply gap during 2009-10 with demand touching a high of 15.6 million tonnes against domestic supply of edible oils at 6.5 million tonnes, Dr N. Ajjan, Director, Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies (CARDS) at TNAU said.

The total edible oil production during 2011-12 is estimated at 7.4 million tonnes (slightly higher than the 2009-10 level of 6.5 million tonnes) and imports estimated at nine million tonnes (including seven million tonnes of palm oil, 1.4 million tonnes of soya oil, six lakh tonnes of sunflower oil and 15,000 tonnes of other edible oils), to meet the domestic demand.

Rising consumption and consequent increase in the demand for edible oils would reflect in the price movement. Further, 75 per cent of the crop is produced during kharif (June-September), leaving just 25 per cent as rabi season crop, said the farm varsity scientists.

Ground nut was sown in 4.12 lakh hectares in 2009-10 and the production was 8.89 lakh tonnes. The major groundnut producing districts in the State are Thiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Vellore, Namakkal, Salem and Erode.

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