January 13, 2004

India Mustardseed Output Forecasted 47.3% Growth

India's winter sown mustard crop is expected to hit 5.85 million metric tons, 47.3% higher than the 3.97 million tons last season, according to a statement issued Monday by the Solvent Extractors' Association.

The higher winter sown oilseeds production is a result of better monsoon rains from June to September.

India's winter sown, or rabi, oilseeds crop is sown in November and harvested in March and April. Mustardseed is the major rabi oilseeds crop.

The total rabi oilseeds crop is expected to be around 9 million tons compared with 6.5 million tons last season, the SEA said.

Apart from mustardseed, groundnut, sesameseed, safflowerseed and linseed are also grown in relatively smaller quantities during rabi season.

India's winter sown groundnut crop is expected to touch 1.67 million tons in the current rabi season, higher than 1.55 million tons last season.

Sunflowerseed production is expected at 930,000 tons, while linseed, sesameseed and safflowerseed production should hit 200,000 tons each.