The realm below oilseeds and pulses is decrease however wheat protection is greater through the present rabi season. As of December 20, 93 per cent of the conventional space has been coated with 32 lakh hectares (lh) of it final week.
This growth poses a coverage problem for the federal government, which targets to make the nation self-sufficient in edible oils and pulses. The season’s regular (final 5 years’ common) space is 635.60 lh.
Farmers have shifted from rabi oilseeds comparable to mustard and groundnut as they like secure costs. Although oilseed costs had been greater in 2022 and 2023, they’ve dropped in 2024. Costs of oilseeds comparable to soyabean are presently ruling under the minimal help value (MSP), forcing farmers to take a look at monetary security, stated commerce sources.
- Additionally learn: India pegs 2023-24 foodgrain production at record 332.4 million tonnes
The realm below pulses is decrease as greater imports are starting to place stress on home costs. At present, pigeon peas or arhar is quoted at ₹7,931 a quintal in opposition to the MSP ₹7,550. Gram (chana costs are presently ruling at ₹6,552 in opposition to the MSP (fastened in 2023-24 as it’s a rabi crop) of ₹5,650, urad (black matpe) costs at ₹7,350 in opposition to the MSP of ₹7,440 and that of moong (inexperienced gram) at ₹6,976 in contrast with the MSP of ₹8,682.
In line with Grains Australia, India imported 82,481 tonnes of the 109,622 tonnes of chickpeas shipped by its growers in October, the very best since 2017 when 136,891 tonnes had been exported. Throughout the complete Australian 2023-24 advertising and marketing season (October-September) India imported 83,367 tonnes.
Canada exported 594,514 tonnes of peas and lentils to India within the first three months of the 2024-25 advertising and marketing 12 months that started in August. Canada pea exports to India are an enormous acquire as throughout the identical interval in 2023-24, it was nowhere within the image.
In a associated growth, India on Tuesday prolonged the duty-free import of yellow peas till February 2025. All these have resulted in a setback within the sowing of oilseeds and pulses through the present rabi season.
- Additionally learn: Govt set to restart Bharat atta, rice, pulses sales with revised prices
Complete acreage
The entire space below all rabi crops reached 590.82 lh as of December 20, which is a tad decrease from 590.97 lh within the year-ago interval. For some weeks in November, information confirmed greater acreage this 12 months. This was as a result of planting of some crops in 2023 was delayed, an knowledgeable stated, including that the acreage is exhibiting a dip now.
“Enter availability in time needs to be the prime focus, which was lacking this 12 months. That can also be the rationale why the rabi/kharif convention is organised upfront to take inventory of the enter state of affairs. However the convention has turn into a ceremonial occasion as there is no such thing as a timing maintained now as to when it needs to be held,” stated a former agriculture commissioner. He careworn on advance planning with States to fulfill the acreage goal set on the convention.
Although official sources blame sizzling climate circumstances till mid-November for decrease planting of oilseeds and vegetation as farmers feared germination problem, business sources stated the procurement system in oilseeds and pulses needs to be as strong as paddy and wheat to shift farmers’ desire.
Safflower too down
The realm below mustard, a key rabi oilseed, dipped by 5.6 per cent at 88.50 lh from 93.73 lh and groundnut dropped by 7.4 per cent to 2.89 lh from 3.12 lh. The safflower space is down at 61,000 hectares from 64,000 hectares, whereas acreage below all rabi oilseeds crops has fallen 5.6 per cent to 95.22 lh from 100.89 lh. Solely about 3 lh sown below mustard was reported throughout December 14-20 week.
The sowing of all pulses has reached 125.64 lh in opposition to 126.89 lh, down by 1 per cent. Chana (gram) space reached at 86 lh, which is 1.9 per cent greater from 84.42 lh, however acreage of masur (lentil) has dipped 4 per cent at 17.06 lh from 17.76 lh. As the conventional pulses space in rabi season is 140 lh, business consultants stated there may very well be some restoration famous in aside from chana crop and the ultimate acreage nonetheless could also be round 135 lh in opposition to 137.39 lh final season.
Sowing of wheat, the important thing rabi season’s cereal, continued its lead regardless of a delayed begin and is now up by 2.5 per cent at 312.28 lh from 304.77 lh within the year-ago interval. Consultants have voiced considerations over delayed sowing of wheat this 12 months as its regular window closes by November 20 within the north-west area.
Wheat bonus
States like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are paying bonuses for wheat over and above the minimal help value (MSP) of ₹2,425/quintal, whereas the open market charges are additionally very excessive this 12 months. The atta (wheat flour) value has already crossed ₹40/kg within the wheat-growing belt.
Amongst different Rabi crops, paddy acreage is greater by 3.5 per cent at 12.85 lh in opposition to 12.41 lh year-ago. The realm below maize is down by 4.1 per cent with a protection of 16.05 lh from 16.73 lh and that of barley down by 17.4 per cent at 6.62 lh in opposition to 8.01 lh year-ago.
The federal government has fastened the manufacturing goal of 115 million tonnes (mt) for wheat, 14.55 mt for rice, 12 mt for maize, 13.65 mt for chana, 1.65 mt for masur, 13.8 mt for mustard and a couple of.25 mt for barley throughout present Rabi season. The acreage of crops is the important thing issue to find out manufacturing as farmers usually choose crops which command greater costs out there.
Within the complete foodgrains goal of 341.55 mt set for 2024-25 crop 12 months (July-June), the contribution of Rabi season’s foodgrains are set to be 164.55 mt or greater than 48 per cent.
