Castorseed availability is set to improve this oil season to October with the country’s crop estimated to be nearly 15 per cent higher.
Latest estimates put by the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India indicate that castor production is likely to increase to between 1.29 million tonnes and 1.38 million tonnes against 1.13 million tonnes a year ago.
While the area under castor has been estimated at 1.03 million hectares, up 12 per cent, the yield may improve marginally to 1,254 kg a hectare, due to deficient monsoon in Andhra Pradesh and parts of Gujarat.
The SEA announced the findings of the Castor Crop Survey: 2014-15 undertaken by Nielsen India on the basis of the three rounds of field survey in the growing areas.
Expressing concern over drop in yield, Abhay Udeshi, Chairman, SEA Castorseed and Oil Council, said” "The most concerning point is that the castor yield has fallen during the last 2-3 years in all the growing States".
"Most disheartening is that in Gujarat where the yields have fallen from an average of about 1,800 kg a few years ago to less than 1,500 kg per hectare now," he said.
Castor yield in Gujarat this season is estimated at 1,471 kg per hectare.
India is the world’s largest castorseed producer. Global castorseed output has been estimated at 1.70 million tonnes, up 29 per cent from last year.