Oilseed Sowing Matches Last Year's Levels

New Delhi: The area under Kharif oilseed crops has reached 194.76 lakh hectares this season, remaining virtually unchanged from the previous year's sowing area of ​​194.75 lakh hectares; however, given the prevailing weather and monsoon conditions, there are doubts regarding satisfactory crop yields in some states.

According to official data, compared to the previous year, the area under groundnut cultivation slipped from 50.80 lakh hectares to 50.67 lakh hectares, soybean sowing area declined from 123.11 lakh hectares to 122.22 lakh hectares, and the castor area dropped from 9.53 lakh hectares to 8.07 lakh hectares during the current Kharif season.

Conversely, the sunflower acreage rose from 70,000 hectares to 1.29 lakh hectares, and the area under other oilseeds surged from 9.79 lakh hectares to 11.08 lakh hectares. Sowing of oilseed crops has largely concluded.

A lack of adequate rainfall over an extended period in southern states, as well as in parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat, is hindering the development of oilseed crops. This raises concerns about potential impacts on average yield rates and grain quality. Conditions in Madhya Pradesh remain normal.