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The effect of poor monsoon this year is being felt on the rabi (winter) plantings too. Poor water levels coupled with delayed onset of winter has impacted the sowing of rapeseed-mustard, the main rabi season oilseed crop.
As a result, the acreage so far is down by about 5 per cent at about 62.9 lakh hectares (lh) over last year’s 66.5 lh.
Trade sources said the current trend in sowing may affect the output of rapeseed-mustard this year, unless winter rains over the next few weeks revive the crop prospects.
However, a lower mustard output is unlikely to affect the overall edible oil supplies on surge in cheaper imports in recent months.
“The acreage is down by about half a million hectares. There is hardly any chance for improvement in acreage unless it rains during winter in the key growing States of North India. If it rains, the crop could be normal this year. But so far there has been no rain and it is a cause for concern,” said BV Mehta, Executive Director of the Solvent Extractors Association of India. In Rajasthan, the main mustard-growing State, acreage till December 18 was 26.4 lh (29.7 lh).
However, in Uttar Pradesh the mustard acreage was 11.3 lh, about one lh more than last year, while in Madhya Pradesh it is lower by 1.1 lh at 6.6 lh. Also in Haryana, the acreage is lower marginally at 5.2 lh (5.4 lh).
Besides water stress, low commodity prices are also an issue, affecting the sentiments.
The edible oil industry had estimated last year’s mustard output 72 lakh tonnes. Unless, the acreage picks up and the standing crop improves, mustard output could be lower than last year, Mehta said adding that it was too early to quantify the drop in production.
“Mustard sowing has started late this year and the crop is unlikely to be better this season,” said Umesh Verma, spokesperson for Puri Oil Mills, a North-based mustard oil producing company.
Recently, the Central Organisation for Oil Industry & Trade (COOIT) estimated this year’s kharif oilseeds production including cottonseed and copra at 276.4 lakh tonnes, some six per cent lower than last year’s 293.5 lakh tonnes.
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