The farmers should sell gingelly seeds (sesame) immediately after the harvest and not hold stocks for long in anticipation of higher prices, Coimbatore-based Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has suggested.
The TNAU?s suggestion to farmers comes when they witnessed decline in yield level due to various reasons this season including pest attack, non-availability of quality seeds and labour shortage.
?The farmers normally get 350-400 kg of gingelly seed per acre in irrigated area. But this season the yield declined to 240-300 kg,? said K Gnanamurthy, professor and head of the department of oil seeds in TNAU.
In the report prepared by Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) attached to TNAU, he said the gingelly crop sown in Rabi season in January is under harvest and arrivals have started.
?The price of seed is expected to be in the range of R44-49 per kg for the next two months and there is no scope for further increase in prices. Hence the farmers are recommended to sell the harvested gingelly? the report said.
The price behaviour of gingelly was found by analysing the price trend prevailed for the past 11 years in Kodumudi market, the famous market for gingelly seeds in Tamil Nadu.
Gingelly cultivation has been covered in around 0.63 lakh hectare in Tamil Nadu with an average yield of 506 kg per hectare and annual production of around 0.31 lakh tonne.
The major producing districts are Erode, Vilupruam, Thanjavur, Karur, Cuddalore, Thoothukudi and Salem. The cultivation of the crop has been taken two times a year, during January-February and July-August.
Gingelly production in Khariff 2010-11 stood at 4.40 lakh tonne in the country, up from 4.30 lakh tonne in the same season a year ago. The major gingelly producing states are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Orissa. The eastern region comprising West Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Andhra Pradesh mostly produce red and black varieties while white gingelly is grown in Maharashtra and other western states. Global gingelly production is estimated at three million tonnes a year, with India and China dominating in the sector.