February 29, 2012

India's 2012 rapeseed output seen lower

India's 2012 rapeseed production is expected to fall 8.5% to 6.3 million tonnes on low acreage, a trade survey showed Monday (Feb 27).

Reuters reported on February 1 that the county could see a drop in the rapeseed crop, meaning that vegetable oil imports by the world's top buyer could rise by about a half a million tonnes in the import year ending October 31.

The drop could primarily be because of a decline in output in Rajasthan, the western Indian state that produces about half of the country's output.

Rajasthan is likely to harvest 2.9 million tonnes in 2012, down 17.1% from the last year's output, the survey of the Solvent Extractors' Association of India showed.

The country's rapeseed area dropped by 9.2% to 6.5 million hectares, it said, mainly due to unfavourable weather at the beginning of the planting season.

Rapeseed, India's main winter oilseed crop is planted in October and harvested in February.

"Rapeseed planting was hit by warmer conditions that prevailed at initial phase in October and November," said B.V. Mehta, executive director of the Mumbai-based trade body.