February 6, 2008
 

India '08 rapeseed output may exceed 5 million tonnes despite cold

India's rapeseed production this year might exceed 5 million tonnes despite damage to the crop caused by intense cold in northern India, a senior government official said Tuesday.

Agricultural Commissioner, N.B. Singh, said the damage to the standing rapeseed crop in north India is limited to only around 100,000 hectares, which should not significantly pull down the output.

He said production this year should be around 5.4-5.5 million tonnes, compared with trade estimates of 6 million tonnes for last year. Market players have speculated the crop this year could be less than 5 million tonnes.

The latest government data showed that rapeseed has been sown in around 5.90 million hectares, down from 6.60 million hectares a year earlier.

Rapeseed is the largest oilseed grown in India during the winter-sowing season and has a strong bearing on the country's annual edible oil imports because of its high oil content.

Singh also said the current weather conditions are very favorable for the wheat crop, and the government hopes that production will exceed 75 million tonnes in the marketing year that starts April.

A good wheat crop in 2008-09 will reduce the country's dependency on imports.

India had contracted to import around 1.8 million tonnes of wheat in 2007-08 because of low government stocks.