Soyabean cultivation area 6.5% less than government estimate

Industry body Soyabean Processors’ Association (Sopa) has pegged the area under soyabean cultivation at 6.5% lower than the government estimate, but said the area is similar to previous years.
The area is similar to previous years, and the final production of crop will depend on weather in the harvest months of September and October, industry insiders said.

As against the government estimate of 123.6 lakh hectare, Sopa has estimated the current kharif area for soyabean at 115.5 lakh hectare.

“Crop was totally damaged in certain districts, and accordingly, the area has been reduced to that extent from the sowing data given by the government,” said DN Pathak, executive director of Sopa. “The reduction in area is 6.545% or 8.09 lakh hectares.”

The biggest difference in area estimation of the government and Sopa is in Rajasthan where the government estimate of 55.8 lakh hectare is higher by close to 4.77 lakh hectare.

According to Sopa, close to 13% of the soyabean crop is in poor condition, 42% in normal condition, 23% in good condition, and 15.5% in very good condition. Captains of the edible oil industry are satisfied with the area under soyabean crop, though spread, intensity and timing of rainfall in September and October can decide the final output.

Rainfall at the harvest phase can damage the crop quality. “We cannot comment about the production estimate as it will depend upon the weather conditions in the coming weeks,” Pathak said. Sopa carried out a field survey of soyabean crops in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan during August 25 to September 5.

“Soyabean crop in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are in the grain filling stage. Intercropping was seen in large tracts with red gram in Maharashtra,” Sopa said in a release.

The industry body representatives found that in Guna, Ashoknagar, Vidisha, Sagar, Damoh, Rajgarh and Bhopal districts of Madhya Pradesh, some areas have been converted from soyabean to black gram, moong, maize, and paddy due to heavy rainfall causing waterlogging in low-lying areas.

“In Ratlam, Mandsour and Neemuch districts of Madhya Pradesh, crop has been affected in a small area due to insects and pests,” it said. “In Rajasthan, substantial area has been converted to black gram, moong, maize, and paddy. Sowing was done late in the last week of July in Rajasthan and plant growth has been affected. The crop is in the flowering and pod formation stage.”