November 25, 2004

 

 

India Geared Up for Good Grains, Oilseed Output

 

India is prepared to see excellent wheat and rapeseed crops after good cotton and soybean production despite erratic rains, according to a leading farm scientist on Thursday.

 

Although the overall winter grains and oilseeds output is estimated to fall this year because of a patchy monsoon, some crops have done well because of an increase in the area under cultivation and late rains.

 

"At this point of time, the summer crop situation is making me smile," S. Nagarajan, director of the state-run Indian Agriculture Research Institute, stated. "Wheat sowing is good. The area is on the higher side because rice was harvested on time. The area under rapeseed is likely to be more than last year."

 

But Nagarajan noted it was too early to give any estimates of summer crops. "We will have a fairly decent guess by early March." he added that the area under summer crops was expected to rise because of good soil conditions and ideal weather. Rains during this year's monsoon season, which runs from June to September, were 13 percent below normal, but post-monsoon rains in many parts of the country provided good soil moisture for sowing of summer crops.

 

The farm ministry said wheat has so far been sown on 5.7 million hectares compared with 5.1 million hectares last year. Summer oilseed crops have been sown on 6.7 million hectares compared with last year's 6.5 million.

 

"This year has been reasonably good. Cotton and soybean have been good. Rice, barring Bihar where floods damaged the crop, is good," he said.

 

According to the Soybean Processors Association of India, winter soybean production is expected to rise to 7.2 million tons from 6.9 million in the previous year. Traders estimate cotton production at about 20 million bales (of 170 kg each), up from 17.7 million in the previous year.

 

Nearly 60 percent of India's billion-plus population depends on the farm sector to earn a living and bad rains wipe out their incomes, which are crucial for industrial growth. Agriculture accounts for 22 percent of the country's gross domestic product. Winter crops -- mainly cotton, groundnut, soybean and rice -- are sown in June and July and harvested in October and November. Summer crops of mainly wheat and rapeseed are sown after November and reaped in February and March.

 

Grains production in the winter season has been estimated at 100.29 million tons compared with 112.05 million tons a year ago, the farm ministry has said. Oilseed output during the season is expected to be around 13.1 million tons compared with 13.9 million in the previous year, according to the vegetable oil industry.

 

Nagarajan said India, which has allowed commercial production of genetically modified cotton and is conducting trials of several other crops, is keen to assess various factors before launching more transgenic seeds. "Doing research or conducting trials on transgenic varieties should be encouraged. But whether that is good for society will have to be evaluated," he said. "Doing research is one thing, accepting it as a product is another thing."