Mustard farmers expect bumper crop, good price

JAIPUR: Mustard farmers in Rajasthan are expecting bumper crop this year. Extended monsoon coupled with unseasonal rains in last month has created a perfect weather condition for the oilseed crop.

Rajasthan agriculture department’s chief statistics officer Panna Lal told ET that the production will go up due to perfect weather conditions. “The acreage is likely to cross targeted 31.65 lakh hectares. The production is likely to be in the range of 35-38 lakh tonne. Last year, the state produced 25 lakh tonne from 22.15 lakh hectares,” he said.

Rajasthan is the largest producer of the seed in the country, contributing 54% of the production. The total output this year is estimated to cross 70-lakh tonne mark, which is 7 lakh tonne more than last year’s production.

The acreage is also likely to swell from 63 lakh hectares to 70 lakh hectares. “Higher the output, better the availability of seed for crushing. It will initiate some action in the mills, which have suspended crushing due to shortage of seed. Farmers have been holding last year’s output anticipating better prices,” said DD Jain of Rajasthan Mustard Oil Industries Association.