STABLE RAPESSED AND MUSTARD PRICES EXPECTED: PAU

LUDHIANA, OCTOBER 23:





As rapeseed and mustard are sown during mid-October to November and the produce is marketed during April and May, the Agricultural Market Intelligence Centre (AMIC) of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has gathered and analyzed market intelligence of these oilseed crops from various sources. Dr Jagrup Singh Sidhu, In-charge, AMIC, PAU, said that the Centre has forecast rapeseed and mustard prices in the range of Rs 3000 - 3500 per quintal during April and May 2013, depending on the government edible oil import policy and trends in the international edible oil prices. The market prices of both the crops in Punjab ruled between Rs 3300-4000 during 2011-12, told Dr Sidhu, while divulging that the Agriculture Costs and Price Commission has recommended Rs 500 increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of rapeseed and mustard for the marketing season of 2012-13 from last year's MSP of Rs 2500 per quintal.

Elaborating, Dr Sidhu observed that the global production of two crops during 2011-12 remained stagnant at 60 million tones, as that of last year, against the rise in consumption by one million tonne from 62 to 63 million tonnes during the same period. Consequently, the global rapeseed and mustard stock declined from 7 to 4.4 million tones, he added. The stagnation in global and domestic production of these crops against the rising demand is likely to keep upward pressure on its prices during the coming marketing season, he noted. At the same time, the higher world palm oil stock along with Indian zero import tariff policy for edible oils will encourage sufficient imports of relatively cheaper palm oil, which is likely to influence the domestic prices downward, said Dr Sidhu, adding that these opposite demand and supply forces may keep rapeseed and mustard prices stable at the last year level.

Due to late rain during Kharif this year, the area and production of rapeseed and mustard is expected to increase due to conserved soil moisture in the rainfed areas, said the expert. In Punjab, the area under two crops slightly increased from 28 to 29 thousand hectares while its production slightly declined from 38 to 37 thousand tonnes due to low productivity, he told.

Dr Sidhu noted that the production of rapeseed and mustard in the country declined by 15 per cent from 71 lakh tonnes during 2010-11 to 65 lakh tonnes during 2011-12. Rajasthan is a leading mustard producing state in India, contributing about 45 per cent of total production followed by Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and West Bengal, he informed. Hapur, Jaipur, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Indore, Alwar, Bharatpur and Sri Ganganagar are the major trading centres for this crop.


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