India set for record mustard crop, Raj at top, says survey

With remunerative prices for mustard in the past year having encouraged the highest-ever acreage, India is heading for a record mustard crop of 120.90 lakh tonnes in 2023-24.

Conducive weather in most parts of the mustard-growing states has also served as a major factor behind the record crop, according to a survey by Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA).

Rajasthan has the highest acreage of over 38 lakh acres. SEA estimates that the state will account for production of 46 lakh metric tonnes of mustard in 2023-24, again the highest in the country.

Over the years, the country has emerged as the world’s largest edible oil importer, leading to stress on its treasury as well as on farmers’ incomes.

In order to encourage farmers to divert more areas for the crop, SEA has been executing a ‘model mustard farm project’ since 2020-21 with a target of increasing mustard production to 200 lakh tonnes by 2029-30.

From around 86 lakh tonnes in 2020-21, 110 lakh tonnes in 2021-22, and 113.5 lakh tonnes in 2022-23, the country’s mustard production is likely to touch an all-time high of 120.9 lakh tonnes in the 2023-24 season with a record sown area of 100 lakh hectares, the survey revealed.

In spite of some damage the crops suffered in February, the average productivity for the 2023-24 season has been estimated at 1,201 kg a hectare.

Findings of the survey was based on interactions with farmers from sowing through harvesting, taking into account the impact of all agronomic practices, selection of inputs, and weather. Eight states – Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal – were surveyed by SEA.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.