The Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade (COOIT), the Jaipur-based trade organisation, along with MOPA, released production estimate for mustard crop cultivation during the two-day annual rabi conference. The trade body forecast drop in area under mustard production at 92.48 lakh hectares as of March 11-12th, 2023, as compared to 113 lakh hectares recorded last year.
Earlier, the agriculture ministry has estimated mustard seed production at a record 12.8 MT in the 2022-23 crop year (July-June). Area under mustard in the current rabi season has been reported at a record 98 lakh hectare which is 64% more than last five years’ average sown area of 64 lakh hectare. In the 2021-22 season, mustard sown areas stood at 91 lakh hectares.While the edible oil industry body estimates the crop output of mustard, the government estimates include similar oilseed varieties toria and taramira.
Interestingly, as per the media reports, with mandi prices of mustard falling below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 5,450/quintal after staying far above the threshold for over two years, the government has decided to procure 1.5 million tonne (MT) of the oilseed from farmers in Rajasthan, the biggest producer in the country.
Oil producers have urged the government to declare Rajasthan as a mustard state as it accounts for 40-45 per cent of the country's production of the oilseed, an industry official said on Saturday. The president of Mustard Oil Producers Association of India (MOPA), Babu Lal Data told reporters here that the body under the aegis of the Central Organization for Oil Industry and Trade (COOIT) is organising a seminar here to discuss various issues of the edible oil industry.