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Excess rains and flooding has clouded groundnut crop prospects in Gujarat, with kharif groundnut output likely to be just 10 per cent higher than last year despite 33 per cent more sowing this year.
The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has estimated Gujarat groundnut crop at 35.45 lakh tonnes as against the 32.15 lakh tonnes recorded last year.
The yield, SEA noted, is expected to be lower by about 17 per cent at 1,715 kg per hectare as against 2,070 kg per ha last year. This year, groundnut sowing was done on 20.65 lakh hectares in the State as against 15.52 lakh hectares last year.
“This year, the overall yield in Gujarat is down due to heavy rain and flooding,” said BV Mehta, Executive Director, SEA, in a statement on Thursday.
The average rainfall in Saurashtra — the groundnut mainland — was more than double as compared to the normal average.
SEA’s Groundnut Promotion Council conducted a crop survey, under which three teams of experts visited major groundnut producing districts in the Saurashtra, Kutch and North Gujarat regions last week to asses the crop situation. Based on the physical survey as well as other data collected, the committee arrived at Gujarat Kharif Groundnut Crop 2020 numbers.
Meanwhile, the State government in its first advance estimate has projected groundnut crop at an all-time high 54.65 lakh tonnes for kharif 2020. The expected yield for the current year is expected to be lower at 2,637 kg per hectare, as against 2,764 kg per hectare last year.
At the national level, kharif groundnut output is estimated at 95.35 lakh tonnes under the first advance estimate for 2020-21, about 14 per cent higher than 83.67 lakh tonnes estimated for 2019-20.
State procurement
Gujarat is the largest groundnut producer with about 60 per cent share in the country’s overall production. Amid record output estimates and dwindling prices at the markets, the State government started registration for groundnut procurement at MSP under the price support scheme.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had informed that the procurement of the oilseed will commence from October 21 for a period of 90 days, during which National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd will conduct MSP operations through the nodal agencies.
The Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation has been appointed as the nodal agency to conduct groundnut procurement from farmers at the MSP of ₹5,275 per quintal.
Groundnut prices slipped further on Thursday to quote at ₹3,825 even as the new arrivals of 2,458 quintals was recorded at Gondal yard.
The authorities at Gondal and Rajkot yards stopped new arrivals of groundnut till further notice. Since the demand for groundnut dropped significantly due to increased moisture level in the crop, there was limited off-take from the yard.
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