Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has asked the farmers not to stock sunflower seeds after harvesting. Instead, they were asked to sell them as there was little chance of increase in the price of the commodity.
According to a study conducted by Domestic & Export Market Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) attached to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, the price of sunflower seed for the next three months will be ruling in the range of Rs 23-26 a kg. For best quality seeds, maximum price would touch Rs 30 a kg, the DEMIC report said.
?The farmers can sell their produce in the next two months immediately after the harvest as the prices may decline from November,? the study said.
One of the major reasons for expected price crash would be increasing imports of edible oil. DEMIC said edible oil import may touch 8.6 million tonne for 2009-10 oil year. It includes 6.95 million tonne of palm oil, 1 million tonne of soya oil, 0.6 million tonne of sunflower oil and 0.04 tonne of other edible oils.
During 2008-09, farmers had cultivated 1.83 million hectare of sunflower and produced 1.25 million tonne with a productivity of 683 kg per hectare. Karnataka accounts for a major 46.46% share in the country’s sunflower production, followed by Andhra Pradesh (31.31%) and Maharashtra (14%). Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Haryana accounts for little over 1% each in the country’s total sunflower production.
Normally, yield ranges between 800 kg and 1,000 kg of sunflower per acre in irrigated area. But this season, the yield level declined to 450-500 kg per acre due to non-availability of quality seeds, pest attack, labour shortage and cultivation of sunflower in both the seasons.
In the South, the crop is raised in two seasons?Karthigai Pattam (October ? November) and Chitrai Pattam (April-May). The commodity trading is prominent in the peak seasons during March to May and June to August. The crops sown during April-May has already started hitting markets in Tamil Nadu.
