Production of winter-sown mustard seed is estimated to be down 8 per cent at 63 lakh tonnes this year due to fall in area under the crop and bad weather conditions, industry body SEA said today.
The SEA estimates are lower than the government estimate of 75 lakh tonnes for the same period. In its second advance forecast, the Agriculture Ministry has pegged mustard seed output at 75 lakh tonnes for the 2011-12 rabi season that started from November 2011.
The Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA), in a statement said, “The overall area has decreased by 6.64 lakh hectare, while the production is expected to reduce by 5.85 lakh tonnes.”
Total production of mustard seed is seen to be down at 63 lakh tonnes this year due to less acreage and damage to the standing crop because of cold weather, it said. Last year, the seed production was at 68.5 lakh tonnes.
“This year, due to late sowing and high temperature during December, the crop is delayed by 15 to 20 days. Also cold weather has damaged the standing crop in Gujarat and western and other parts of Rajasthan,” SEA said.
The exact damage will be reviewed once the crop is fully harvested, it said.
While mustard seed output is estimated to be marginally lower in Madhya Pradesh at 6.90 lakh tonnes, the output has fallen sharply in Haryana at 6.20 lakh tonnes this year as against 7.7 lakh tonnes in 2010-11 season, the SEA data said.
Similarly, production in Gujarat is likely to decline to 2.40 lakh tonnes from 3.30 lakh tonnes, it said.
However, production in Uttar Pradesh is estimated to be higher at 10.50 lakh tonnes this year, as against 8.50 lakh tonnes in 2010—11 season. Production in West Bengal is slightly up at 3 lakh tonnes in the reviewed period, it added.
According to the SEA, the production estimate has been arrived after extensive field visit of the growing States by four survey teams consisting of 30 members including leading crushers, oil millers, agronomists and commodity analysts.