As more farmers opt for Soybean, SOPA pegs output at 114.83 lakh tonne

• 13 Feb, 2019
• India

The Soyabean Processors Association of India ( SOPA) has pegged the country’s soyabean crop output for the kharif 2018-19 at 114.83 lakh tonne. Last year, soyabean output was at 83.60 lakh tonne. SOPA executive director DN Pathak attributed the rise in output to both an increase in acreage and yield of the crop.
Both have gone up this time and we have noticed a trend of several farmers switching tosoyabean from cotton on favorable climatic conditions and firm prices, he said.

Pathak revealed that the association had conducted an extensive survey of the crop, arrivals, crushing, exports and local demand to prepare a balance sheet. The survey was undertaken by two teams of SOPA officials who visited major mandis in Maharashtra which included Nagpur, Chandur Railway, Dhamangaon, Amravati, Akola, Khamgaon, Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, Yeotmal and Hinganghat.  The other team visited Dewas, Sehore, Shajapur, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Indore, Kota, Jhalawar and Bundi.

“During these visits, we interacted with farmers, traders, mandi officials and soybean processors. We also did an analysis of data of mandi arrivals, variation between reported and actual figures and farmer behavior based on price movement,” Pathak said. Based on this extensive survey, we find that there is no need to revise the initial crop numbers given by SOPA and the Kharif-2018 soybean crop is reconfirmed at 114.83 lakh tonne, he added.

Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan are major soybean cultivating states. During the current season, soybean acreage was up 6.7 % to 108.4 lakh hectare (ha) from 101.6 lakh ha in the previous season. The average yield has gone up by 29% to 1,059 kg per ha for the current harvesting season from 823 kg in the previous season. SOPA, in its first survey of soybean crop for the season of 2018-19, has estimated the total area under soybean for 2018 at 108.396 lakh hectare. The area has increased by 6.83 lakh hectare (6.7%) as compared to the previous year.

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As per SOPA estimates, the actual area in Maharashtra is 36.390 lakh hectare, which is 10% less than the government estimates of 40.433 lakh hectare. Soybean output in Maharashtra is estimated to rise by 32% to 38.4 lakh tonne for this year. Pathak pointed out that despite the drought in Maharashtra the soybean output has risen in the state and there has not been much of an impact. Similarly, the actual area in Rajasthan is 9.212 lakh hectare as compared to 10.112 lakh hectare given by the government.

The estimate over the reduction in area by SOPA was arrived after taking into account intercropping and total loss after sowing. The area in Madhya Pradesh has increased to 54.1 lakh hectare in 2018 as against 50.1 lakh hectare in 2017. The average yield here is expected to touch 1,094 kg per hectare from 838 kg per hectare in 2017.

Similarly, in Telangana, the area for 2018 is 1.791 lakh hectare. In 2017, it was 1.652 lakh hectare and the expected yield is 877 kg per hectare in 2018 as against 638 kg per hectare. In Karnataka, the area has gone up from 2.710 lakh hectare in 2017 to 3.190 lakh hectare in 2018 which is likely to result in a production of 911 kg per hectare in 2018 from 640 kg per hectare.

The average yield for the year 2018 is estimated as 1,059 kg/hectare as against 823 kg/hectare lakh ha last year. soybean prices have been moving up for quite some time now. The government has fixed soybean MSP at Rs 3399 a quintal for 2018-19 as compared to Rs 3050 a quintal for the previous year.

Source:https://www.financialexpress.com/market/as-more-farmers-opt-for-soybean-sopa-pegs-output-at-114-83-lakh-tonne/1484537/