A higher area and an expected increase in productivity may push up mustard production in the country this year and exceed the annual demand for the first time since the country became dependent on edible oil imports. Production may reach around 125 lakh tonnes (lt), up over 6 per cent from last year if the weather remains conducive for next one month.
“So far the crop is good and there are no reports of any major pest attack from anywhere. Flowering is completed everywhere and at the pod formation stage in places where the crop was sown early. Hopefully, the first crop will start arriving from the first week of next month,” said PK Rai, director of the Bharatpur-based Directorate of Rapeseed Mustard Research (DRMR) under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). At least 125 lt production can be expected under current conditions, he said.
Mustard production has jumped by 29 per cent to 117.46 lt from 91.24 lt in the last two years. The productivity saw a 10 per cent jump to 1,458 kg/ha from 1,331 kg and the sowing area surged 17 per cent to 80.58 lakh hectares (lh) in 2021-22 from 68.56 lh in 2019-20. The annual demand for mustard is estimated at about 120 lt.
Data reconciliation
In the current rabi sowing season, the acreage under mustard and toria has increased 9 per cent to 94.22 lh until December 30. However, the area may be slightly lower in the final data reconciliation. Still, if a 10 lh additional area comes under mustard this year, it may increase the production by 15 lt, official sources said.
Rajasthan, the biggest producer of mustard with nearly 50 per cent share in country’s total output of the Rabi-grown oilseed, has reported 38.52 lh as on December 30, which is 5 lh more than year-ago. In Bharatpur division, mustard acreage is yet to reach targetted 9.5 lh whereas in Bikaner division it is 1 lh more than the target of 4.10 lh. “Farmers in other areas are shifting to mustard due to higher rates while traditional growing districts are stagnant,” said an official.
Agriculture scientists have been suggesting on bridging the yield gap between different regions to increase the output as much as 35 per cent. If yield gap (between States and varieties) is breached, there is potential to achieve it, they said. Lower yield is caused by several factors like weather impact (temperature increase), non-availability of seeds and fertiliser in time and production technology.
According to industry estimates, the yield in Rajasthan is about 1.5 tonnes per hectare as against 0.74-0.79 tonnes per hectare in eastern States of West Bengal, Assam and Odisha.