IGI Logo

MARKET NEWS/UPDATES:

* The area under rabi crops in Gujarat was at 4.59 mln ha in the current season as of Monday, up 3% from 4.46 mln ha last year, according to data from the state agriculture department. The area under maize in the state rose nearly 9% on year to 115,426 ha. Gujarat is one of the top 10 states in India producing maize. The acreage of rabi cereals was down 1.5% on year at 1.40 mln ha. However, the area under wheat, the key rabi crop grown in the state, has been falling during the current rabi season. Wheat acreage was down 3.6% at 1.25 mln ha, from 1.29 mln ha a year ago. The area of wheat grown on irrigated land in the state was 1.22 mln ha, down from 1.27 mln ha a year ago. While the acreage of wheat grown on the unirrigated land is 25,231 ha, which is lower than 26,820 ha. The normal area for the crop, which is the average of the last three years, is 1.30 mln ha. Wheat, cotton, mustard, and cumin are the main rabi crops in Gujarat. Also, the state is known for growing vegetables like onion, potato, and tomato during this season. The acreage of rabi pulses was down 16.2% on year at 676,416 ha. The acreage of chana, the major pulse in Gujarat and accounting for 93% of the rabi pulses, was at 630,457 ha, down from 764,463 ha a year ago. Of the total oilseed acreage at 277,781 ha, mustard was sown across 277,332 ha, and was down 9.1% on year from 307,369 ha, the data showed. The area under jeera has more than doubled to 561,306 ha, from 275,832 ha last year. The normal area for the crop is 350,666 ha. Gujarat is the largest producer of the spice. The acreage under coriander was down 43% on year at 127,035 ha. Gujarat is the second-largest producer of the spice. Among other crops, sowing of tobacco was down 2.5% from the previous year at 134,959 ha, while that of sugarcane rose to 197,103 ha from 179,524 ha. Sowing of vegetables dropped marginally to 203,239 ha from 201,230 ha last year. Acreage of potato, on other hand, rose slightly to 134,857 ha from 131,432 ha the previous year. The area under fodder was at 602,286 ha, down from 610,130 ha in the year-ago period.

* India's basmati rice exports surged 17.58% on year to $3.37 bln in Apr-Nov, according to data collated by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. In terms of volume, basmati rice exports rose to around 3 mln tn in Apr-Nov from 2.73 mln tn in the same period last year. However, non-basmati rice exports fell 25.3% on year to $3.07 bln during the period. In terms of volume, non-basmati rice exports fell to 7.7 mln tn from 11.57 mln tn in the year-ago period, the data showed. The government banned exports of non-basmati white rice on Jul 20 due to rising domestic prices and concerns relating to El Nino. However, exports of white rice would be permitted to other countries to meet their food security needs based on the requests of foreign governments. Basmati and non-basmati rice together accounted for 42.9% of the total value of agricultural exports in Apr-Nov. During Apr-Nov, exports of livestock products, including meat, poultry, and dairy products rose 6.3% on year to $2.88 bln. Exports of poultry rose 39% on year to $113 mln, but dairy exports fell 33% on year to $283 mln. Exports of processed fruits and vegetables rose 8% on year to $1.41 bln in Apr-Nov. The data also showed that pulses exports rose 4.1% on year to $408 mln during the period. Groundnut exports climbed 9.4% on year to $504 mln. Exports of guar gum fell 20.6% on year to $352 mln. India is the world's largest producer of guar gum.

* The area under rabi crops in Maharashtra fell 5.3% on year to 5.61 mln ha as of today, according to data published by the state agriculture department. The acreage was 5.93 mln ha a year ago. So far, 104% of the average rabi crop area of 5.40 mln ha in the state has been covered, the department said. Acreage of gram, a key rabi crop in the state, fell to 2.57 mln ha from 2.89 mln ha a year ago, the data showed. The area under pulses was at 2.69 mln ha, down from 3.04 mln ha a year ago. Gram, wheat, safflower, mustard, and sorgum are the major rabi crops in the state. Wheat acreage was at 973,759 ha, down from 1.1 mln ha a year ago. The area under jowar rose 19.2% on year to 1.55 mln ha. The total area covered under cereals rose 1.4% on year to 2.86 mln ha. Oilseed acreage fell to 70,592 ha from 74,412 ha a year ago, according to the data. Safflower was sown across 42,463 ha, up from 30,328 ha a year ago, while sunflower acreage fell to 2,710 ha from 8,375 ha last year. As of today, the water level in the state's dams was 56.4% of capacity compared with 81.6% a year ago, according to data from the state water resources department.

* In the case of rice bran meal, there were no exports from India in December compared with 65,658 tn exported in the corresponding period a year ago, according to the data. On Dec 8, the Centre extended the ban on exports of de-oiled rice bran till Mar 31 amid firm prices of dairy products. De-oiled rice bran, obtained after the extraction of oil from rice bran, is an important ingredient for cattle, poultry, and pig feed. El Nino conditions, which peaked in Oct-Nov, are likely to turn neutral in Apr-Jun, The Hindu BusinessLine reported today, quoting three global agencies. The Climate Prediction Centre, an arm of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Centers for Environment Prediction, there is a 73% chance of El Nino conditions turning neutral in Apr-Jun. Currently, the El Nino event is close to peak amplitude and conditions are predicted to weaken over the next six months, as per The European Copernicus Climate Change Service. However, JanMar will continue to see a warm trend, it said. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said that some atmospheric indicators have weakened over the last three weeks. "Model forecasts suggest the positive Indian Ocean Dipole is likely to continue to ease over the coming weeks," it said. Kharif crop production in India fell 3% as El Nino conditions affected the southwest monsoon. August was the driest month in India in the last 120 years, while October was the second warmest after 2016, the report said. As the post-monsoon rain turned deficient, rabi sowing of pulses, paddy and other crops are also bearing the brunt, the report said.

Views express by all participants are for information & academic purpose only. Kindly read disclaimer before referring below views. Click Here For Disclaimer