Udaipur : India is heading for a record Rapeseed-Mustard crop of 120.90 lakh tonnes in 2023-24 as remunerative prices in the past year encourage record plantings of the oilseed. Conducive weather in most parts of the mustard growing states also aided the highest-ever production. This was outcome of the Crop Survey conducted by The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India earlier this month.
Over the years, India has emerged as the world’s largest edible oil importer leading to a severe stress on its treasury as well as on farmers’ incomes. As a responsible and apex industry body, the SEA has initiated host of initiatives to raise the domestic availability of oilseeds. One of these initiatives, named “Model Mustard Farm Project” is being implemented since 2020-21 with a vision to increase India’s Rapeseed-Mustard production to 200 Lakh tonnes by 2029-30.
As a result of these concerted efforts coupled with favorable weather and price of mustard seed, India has witnessed a remarkable increase in mustard production year after year. around 86 lakh tons in 2020-21, 110 lakh tons in 2021-22 and 113.5 lakh tons in 2022-23 mustard production recorded. The production of mustard seed is likely to touch an all-time high of 120.9 lakh tons in 2023-24 season with sown in record 100 lakh hectares area boosting domestic supplies of edible oils.
The project has started showing positive results, as reflected in our recent crop survey for 2023-24 crop year. SEA has roped in RMSI Cropanalytics Pvt Ltd for the survey through two rounds of extensive crop surveys, remote sensing analysis for highest level of accuracy in crop area estimation. The survey also included constant interactions with farmers from sowing through harvesting to ensuring the impact of all agronomic practices, selection of inputs, and weather is considering to arrive at the final estimate. Total eight states such Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal were surveyed.
Based on the primary survey of eight major states and secondary survey of rest of the states, India’s rapeseed-mustard acreage for 2023-24 is estimated at 100.60 lakh hectares, which is nearly same as the Ministry of Agriculture’s estimate of 100.50 lakh hectares.
In spite of some damage during February, the average productivity for the year 2023-24 has been estimated at 1,201 kg/ha, leading to the total mustard production at 120.90 lakh tonnes. The SEA had estimated the crop at 115 lakh tonnes in the previous year.
In the Second Advance Estimate dated Feb 29, the Ministry of Agriculture has estimated the crop at 126.96 lakh tonnes compared with 128.18 lakh tonnes in 2022-23.
Production in Rajasthan is estimated by SEA at 46.13 lakh tonnes, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh at 20.03 lakh tonnes and 17.59 lakh tonnes, respectively.
The table below represents the state-wise acreage, yield and production as estimated by the survey:
