Coimbatore, April 12 - The short supply of sunflower seeds might have little or no impact on its price. Farmers have, therefore, been advised to sell the sunflower after harvest without resorting to storage, say farm varsity experts.
The NAIP – Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) functioning in the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies (CARDS), TNAU captured the price trend over the last decade to facilitate farmers take a better decision.
Lower yield
Sharing details, the DEMIC source said sunflower farmers normally get 1,000 -1,200 kg of seed an acre under irrigated conditions, but the yield had almost halved during the current season to 650 – 700 kg/acre. Attributing this to non-availability of quality seeds, pest attack, irregular power supply and labour shortage, the source said “reduction in area and productivity shortfall further impacted the supply”.
During March 2010, the seed arrival in the Vellakovil regulated market was 497 tonnes compared with 2,825 tonnes during March 2009.
“In spite of the steep decline in arrivals, the prices were ruling at around Rs 21/kg,” the source said.
Imported oils
The DEMIC study also noted that the dependence on imported oils for meeting domestic consumption was on the rise.
Crude palm oil imports during the first four months of the current oil year (November 2009 – October 2010) was reported at 23.99 lakh tonnes (lt) compared with 23.34 lt during the corresponding period of the earlier year.
The overall import of vegetable oils during the first four months of the current oil year has been estimated at 31.15 lt, up 5.5 per cent from 29.52 lt during the 2008-09 oil year.
Analysts also foresee a 4 per cent dip in edible oil supply during the current season. In view of the supply constraints and over-dependence on imported edible oil, experts expect the price of the sunflower seeds to rule in the Rs 20 – 22/kg price band the next three months.
Reports show that the area under the rabi season oilseeds such as rapeseed, peanut and sunflower fell by 4 per cent to 8.2 million hectares this season, with decline confined mostly to sunflower and mustard crop.
The revised sunflower planting area and production in 2009-10 has been put at 1.4 million hectares and 8.20 lt respectively.
Tamil Nadu, which accounts for 1.01 per cent of sunflower seed production, recorded 0.48 lt of seeds from 0.26 lah hectares. Erode, Dindigul, Karur, Tiruchi, Villupuram and Dharmapuri distcricts are major production belts contributing to about 82 per cent of the total production in the State. Peak arrival season is March to June and the lean arrival season – July to September.