India’s canola production could hit a record high in 2023 as higher prices spurred a nearly 9 percent year-on-year increase in canola sown area, industry sources and officials said.
India’s canola sown area reached 8.8 million hectares so far, up 8.6 percent from 8.1 million hectares a year earlier, according to data from the agriculture ministry. This year’s rapeseed sown area could end up as high as 9.4 to 9.5 million hectares and production will be higher, said BV Mehta, executive director of the Indian Refinery Association. But the weather needs to be favorable.
Last year, India’s rapeseed sowing area was 9.1 million hectares, with production of 11 million tons. Sandeep Bajoria, an industry figure who is chairman of the International Sunflower Oil Association, said early trends suggest that Indian canola production could touch a record high of 12 million tons.
Indian farmers said they expanded rapeseed sowings this year because the crop brings better returns. But traders cautioned that if temperatures rise, it could lower yields. Meteorological department data show that the crop needs lower temperatures to get higher yields, but temperatures in the northwest, India’s largest canola-producing region, have been 2 to 5 degrees Celsius warmer than normal.
Source: BoE Guru
Post time: Dec-27-2022