Andhra farmers set to harvest bumper groundnut crop
Groundnut farmers in Andhra Pradesh, who witnessed the production falling to low levels due to drought last year, are expected to record a five-fold jump in the crop this fiscal.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: Groundnut farmers in Andhra Pradesh, who witnessed the production falling to low levels due to drought last year, are expected to record a five-fold jump in the crop this fiscal.
Production of the commodity in the state is likely to rise to 16.61 lakh tons this year as against 3.33 lakh tons last season, a state government official said.
"The groundnut production, which has an annual average of about 12 lakh tons, slipped last year due to drought," an official with Andhra Pradesh State Marketing Cooperative Federation said.
Gujarat, the largest groundnut producing state, is also expected to have an output of 25 lakh tons, up by about 20 per cent from last year's production, state agriculture department's Joint Director BM Modi said.
The Centre also expects the total production of groundnut in the country to be higher than last year on the back of estimation of good crop in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.
The country's groundnut output, which dipped last year to 3.28 million tons, is likely to recover to 5.18 million tons in 2007-08, according to the first estimate of the Union Agriculture Ministry.
The total coverage under groundnut in this kharif season rose by 14 per cent till last week, compared to the corresponding period of 2006.
However, officials from both the states, who were here recently, discounted the possibility of market price going below the minimum support price of Rs 1,550 per quintal.
The groundnut prices which are ruling at around Rs 2,650 a quintal are not likley to go below Rs 2,250 level, Modi said, adding the country's edible oil requirement is much higher than domestic production.
Production of the commodity in the state is likely to rise to 16.61 lakh tons this year as against 3.33 lakh tons last season, a state government official said.
"The groundnut production, which has an annual average of about 12 lakh tons, slipped last year due to drought," an official with Andhra Pradesh State Marketing Cooperative Federation said.
Gujarat, the largest groundnut producing state, is also expected to have an output of 25 lakh tons, up by about 20 per cent from last year's production, state agriculture department's Joint Director BM Modi said.
The Centre also expects the total production of groundnut in the country to be higher than last year on the back of estimation of good crop in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.
The country's groundnut output, which dipped last year to 3.28 million tons, is likely to recover to 5.18 million tons in 2007-08, according to the first estimate of the Union Agriculture Ministry.
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The total coverage under groundnut in this kharif season rose by 14 per cent till last week, compared to the corresponding period of 2006.
However, officials from both the states, who were here recently, discounted the possibility of market price going below the minimum support price of Rs 1,550 per quintal.
The groundnut prices which are ruling at around Rs 2,650 a quintal are not likley to go below Rs 2,250 level, Modi said, adding the country's edible oil requirement is much higher than domestic production.
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