India to boost soyabean farming

Land in India devoted to soyabean production is expected to rise by 10 to 15 per cent this winter, with farmers eager to shift from other crops in the hope of better prices, a top industry official said on Wednesday.

Total land under soyabean production could rise from 5.67 million hectares last winter, while output may reach 5.8 to 6.0 million tonnes from 4.97 million tonnes the previous season, Rajesh Agrawal, chairman of the Soyabean Processors Association of India, said from Indore, India's soy trade hub.

"Farmers will be enthused to switch over from other crops as soyabean prices have been historically high in the past one year," he said.

Madhya Pradesh grows 65 to 70 per cent of the country's soyabean output. Other key growing provinces include Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Agrawal said on average, soyabean prices over the past 12 months to June were 13,500 rupees per tonne, about 35 per cent higher than the 10,000 rupees a tonne in the previous year.

Domestic prices had soared on the back of a near eight per cent drop in soyabean production to 4.97 million tonnes during the previous winter season from a year earlier, the association said. The drop was due to poor monsoon rains.

Winter

"We expect a 15 to 20 per cent rise in area under soyabean in Maharashtra as some farmers may shift from cotton and sugarcane cultivation in anticipation of better returns," Agrawal said.

Maharashtra cultivated soyabean over 1.22 million hectares last winter.

But area expansion would depend on sufficient rains during the monsoon season, Agrawal said, adding that a delay of more than a week in the arrival of rains in June would not have a significant impact on production.

"Soyabean sowing will begin after about a week and continue till July 15. A delay of one week will hardly make any difference," he said.

The crucial June-September southwest monsoon hit the southern state of Kerala on Sunday, more than a week behind schedule.

Weather officials said monsoon rains were progressing gradually to other regions.

"Normal period of monsoon for Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat is around June 15. In the present scenario, it could arrive in these places around June 20," said H R Hathwar, a senior meteorological official based in New Delhi.