Castorseed output revised down at 19.62 lakh tonnes

Climatic adversity such as untimely rains, strong winds and hailstorms in parts of castor-sowing regions of Gujarat is set to cause a dip in the output of the oilseed.

In its final crop estimate, trade body Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has revised its castor crop outlook for the year 2019-20 downward by about 3.5 per cent or 74,000 tonnes to 19.62 lakh tonnes (lt) as against the first estimate of 20.36 lt reported in February this year.

Per the final estimates, castor output in the country will be lower by about 15,000 tonnes from 19.77 lt reported in 2018-19.

“India’s average castor seed productivity after the third and fourth survey has been revised down to 1,977 kg per hectare against 2,052 kg/ha estimated in the first estimate. This is due to some crop damage in Gujarat from untimely rains and strong winds. However, Rajasthan crop conditions were a little better than the first estimate,” SEA noted in its statement.

Acreage

Acreage under castorseed is 9.92 lakh hectares, according to the Central government data.

SEA had appointed an agency, AgriWatch, to conduct castor crop survey. AgriWatch presented its interim findings at the Global Castor Conference 2020 in Ahmedabad in February.

The agency has presented its final crop estimate to the SEA Castor Seed and Oil Promotion Council at a webinar meeting held on June 6.

Per the latest findings, Gujarat will continue to be the largest castor seed producer with an estimated output of 16.60 lt or nearly 85 per cent of the country’s output. The first estimate had put the Gujarat output at 17.44 lt.

“Strong winds, rains and hailstorm in some tehsils of Banaskantha, Gandhinagar, Mehsana and Ahmedabad (districts) during March 2020 had slightly damaged the standing castor crop,” the findings noted.

Farmers have also gone slow on selling castor seed in the market primarily due to the lockdown and lower prices.

Rajasthan output

Rajasthan, on the other hand, is set to see an improvement in the average yield, which is is revised upward to 1,593 kg/ha after the fourth round of survey, as against the first estimate of 1,523 kg/ha, due to favourable weather conditions and availability of water for irrigation.

Also the area under castor in Rajasthan is believed to be higher for 2019-20 at 1,54,240 hectares per government estimates over last year’s 1,38,000 hectares. “Hence, final production for the State is estimated to be 2.46 lakh tonnes as against the first estimate of 2.35 lakh tonnes,” it said.

The output in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is estimated to be 33,000 tonnes, which is the same as last year’s estimate of 24,000 lt.

Castorseed prices hovered in the range of ₹3,240-3,620 per quintal at the markets in Rajkot on Tuesday.

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