Monsoon Mayhem Oilseed output may fall 10%
Country’s winter-harvested oilseed output is expected to fall 10.2% in the ’06-07 crop year from a year earlier due to erratic rains in growing regions.
By Agencies |
NEW DELHI: Country’s winter-harvested oilseed output is expected to fall 10.2% in the ’06-07 crop year from a year earlier due to erratic rains in growing regions, a leading trade body said on Friday. The Central Organisation of Oil Industry & Trade forecast output to drop to 12.3m tonnes from 13.7m tonnes in the year to October ‘06.
The lower output would be mainly due to a fall in groundnut production to 3.4m tonnes from 4.4m tonnes a year ago, the trade body said in its first estimate for the season.
“Major reduction has come in the groundnut because of the area under the crop has come down due to dry weather and erratic rains,” Sandeep Bajoria, president of the organisation, said.
India produces seven oilseeds in its winter harvest. The crop is sown in June-July and harvested from November. India also has a summer oilseed crop that is harvested in March-April.
Soyabean production was expected to be about 7m tonnes, compared with 7.1m tonnes a year ago, while sunflower could drop to 500,000 tonnes from 560,000, it said. The trade body said it would revise the forecasts in November. It raised its estimate of ‘05 winter oilseeds production to 13.7m tonnes from earlier estimates of 13.4m tonnes.
Govind Bhai Patel, managing partner of Dipak Enterprise, told the conference that winter oilseeds output would be even lower at around 11.5m tonnes. “The major reduction is in groundnut, which is expected to fall by around 900,000 tonnes to 3.4m tonnes. Though the area under soybean has increased, the crop may not be as good as previous year as the yields may be less,” he said.
He estimated oilseeds output in ‘06-07 at 21.9m tonnes against 22.3m tonnes a year ago, on the prospects of a good summer crop due to better soil moisture. The trade body did not give an estimate for edible oil imports in ‘06-07.
India is the third-largest importer of vegetable oils in the world after China and the EU, with imports for the year ending October ‘06 estimated at about 4.4m tonnes. The government has estimated oilseeds production in ‘05-06 at 27.7m tonnes, equal to 8m tonnes of vegetable oils.
The lower output would be mainly due to a fall in groundnut production to 3.4m tonnes from 4.4m tonnes a year ago, the trade body said in its first estimate for the season.
“Major reduction has come in the groundnut because of the area under the crop has come down due to dry weather and erratic rains,” Sandeep Bajoria, president of the organisation, said.
India produces seven oilseeds in its winter harvest. The crop is sown in June-July and harvested from November. India also has a summer oilseed crop that is harvested in March-April.
Soyabean production was expected to be about 7m tonnes, compared with 7.1m tonnes a year ago, while sunflower could drop to 500,000 tonnes from 560,000, it said. The trade body said it would revise the forecasts in November. It raised its estimate of ‘05 winter oilseeds production to 13.7m tonnes from earlier estimates of 13.4m tonnes.
Govind Bhai Patel, managing partner of Dipak Enterprise, told the conference that winter oilseeds output would be even lower at around 11.5m tonnes. “The major reduction is in groundnut, which is expected to fall by around 900,000 tonnes to 3.4m tonnes. Though the area under soybean has increased, the crop may not be as good as previous year as the yields may be less,” he said.
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He estimated oilseeds output in ‘06-07 at 21.9m tonnes against 22.3m tonnes a year ago, on the prospects of a good summer crop due to better soil moisture. The trade body did not give an estimate for edible oil imports in ‘06-07.
India is the third-largest importer of vegetable oils in the world after China and the EU, with imports for the year ending October ‘06 estimated at about 4.4m tonnes. The government has estimated oilseeds production in ‘05-06 at 27.7m tonnes, equal to 8m tonnes of vegetable oils.
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