Oilseeds output may rise 19% this fiscal

Our Commodities Bureau

Chennai, Oct 14: Oilseeds production, after the fall in the last two years, is expected to go up 18.8 per cent in 2001-2002 from 18.20 million tonnes in 2000-2001 to 21.33 million tonnes lead by soyabean and groundnut. Oilseeds production had declined 15 per cent in 1999-2000 and 13.2 per cent in 2000-2001.

According to the crop estimates prepared by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the current kharif groundnut production is expected to rise by 13 per cent to 5.29 million tonnes compared to 4.67 million tonnes in the last season. Gujarat is projected to produce 2.15 million tonnes against 0.5 million tonnes the previous year.

This rise is feared to be offset by the fall in groundnut production in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Soyabean production is expected to increase to 5.8 million tonnes, from the the 5.1 million tonnes in the previous year. This 14 per cent increase is lower than the earlier expectation of 39 per cent rise to 6.8 million tonnes.

Area under soyabean has increased only marginally to 60.3 lakh hectares. In Madhya Pradesh, acreage has gone up from 40.16 lakh hectares to 42.17 lakh hectares. Owing to the prolonged dry spells productivity might be lower and output may fall to 3.68 million tonnes from 3.73 million tonnes. Overall there would be a 14 per cent rise in soyabean production.

Owing to the lower price and lower acreage in castor seed in Gujarat, output there is expected to fall from 0.9 million tonnes to 0.7 million tonnes.

Total cotton production is estimated to be 12.3 million bales in 2001-02 up by 31 per cent because of higher acreage. Area under cotton has increased by six per cent to 81.6 lakh hectares mainly following the shift from rice to cotton in Haryana and Punjab. However, the southern states and Maharashtra have reported lower acreage and production.

The Dharwad and Hubli belt of cotton growers are expected to report lower production following lack of seasonal rains.

The dry spell also affected the Tamil Nadu cotton crop. Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat were expected to report higher output.