The Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) has estimated higher oilseeds crop for the rabi season of 2016-17.
SEA estimates put rabi oilseeds production at 91.76 lakh tonnes against 77.41 lakh tonnes last year, up 18.5 per cent on year-on-year basis.
The yield is expected to be better at 998 kg per hectare against 903 kg per hectare last year. The total area under oilseeds is seen higher by 7 per cent to 91.90 lakh hectares against 85.77 lakh hectares in 2015-16.
The oil industry body had estimated kharif oilseeds crop at 290.10 lakh tonnes for the year 2016-17, while the latest rabi estimate of 91.76 lakh tonnes put the total oilseeds availability for the year at 318.86 lakh tonnes.
Total vegetable oil production from kharif and rabi oilseeds crop for the year 2016-17 (November-October) has increased by 12.88 lakh tonnes and is estimated at 84.90 lakh tonnes compared with 72.02 lakh tonnes last year.
In view of the bumper oilseeds crop, import of edible oil during 2016-17 (Nov-Oct) is likely to fall and estimated at 140 lakh tonnes plus non-edible oil import of 2 lakh tonnes. Total import of vegetable oils (edible + non-edible) is estimated at 142 lakh tonnes during 2016-17 (November-October) against 147.38 lakh tonnes in 2015-16, down by 5 lakh tonnes.
The SEA observations of the rabi oilseeds crop suggested higher groundnut crop at 15.45 lakh tonnes against 12.40 lakh tonnes last year, up 24 per cent.
Also, rapeseed-mustard, including taramira crop, increased to 69.71 lakh tonnes from 58 lakh tonnes last year. Sunflower seed crop has shown decline of about 1.1 lakh tonnes to 1.30 lakh tonnes from 2.40 lakh tonnes.
Sesame seed crop increased marginally by 0.05 lakh tonnes to 2.30 lakh tonnes from 2.25 lakh tonnes last year.
The combined area of kharif and rabi oilseeds during 2016-17 as per government of India estimates is 282.22 lakh hectares and production of key 9 oilseeds crops for the current year 2016-17 is estimated at 269.31 lakh tonnes compared with 203.41 lakh tonnes last year, showing 32 per cent rise.