Punjab: Mustard yield almost at par with last year’s output
Data of around 91% crop cutting experiments – which measure average crop yield in different blocks under local agri officer's supervision – crop is in, and it has put the state’s average mustard yield at 15.58 quintals per hectare (around 6.30 quintals per acre).
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This year the area under mustard has increased to 54,000 hectares from 32,000 hecatres in last year.While Punjab has recorded lowest per hectare wheat yield in 15 years, the state’s mustard yield this season is almost at par with last year.
Data of around 91% crop cutting experiments – which measure average crop yield in different blocks under local agri officer’s supervision – crop is in, and it has put the state’s average mustard yield at 15.58 quintals per hectare (around 6.30 quintals per acre). Officials said after completion of all crop cutting experiments for mustard, the crop’s yield would come at par with last year which was 15.95 quintals per hectares (6.45 quintals per acre).
In some districts, the yield is much higher than the average yield of the state and even more than the district’s individual yield of last year.
In Barnala, it is17.98 quintals per hectares this year against 17.85 quintals last year. For Mansa, it was 17.05 quintals per hectare last year against 17.28 quintals this year. Muktsar Sahib has recorded 18.80 quintals per hectare yield this year against 13 quintals/hectare last year. In Fazilka, the yield stands at 18.91 quintals per hectare against 18.28 quintals last year.
Punjab Agriculture Department has to conduct 584 crop cutting experiments out of which 530 have already been conducted and the yield will come at par when entire results are received, said Director, Agriculture, Punjab Dr Gurvinder Singh.
“We had motivated farmers a lot this year to go for mustard crop as we had also received the seed kits from the government of India. Area was increased and the yield has also increased in several districts of the state,” said Director Dr Gurvinder, adding that it is quite encouraging that farmers are getting much higher rate of this year crop this year.
Experts said that there is less loss to the mustard crop this year as mustard harvest starts at least one month before the wheat harvesting and in March when the temperatures rose unexpectedly. “Not much loss was recorded in mustard crop as only a couple of quintals loss was recorded from some districts,” said an agriculture officer, adding that overall crop is good and the farmers who have increased the area under it this year are reaping good returns.
This year the area under mustard has increased to 54,000 hectares from 32,000 hecatres in last year and also the the market rate of the crop is around Rs 2,000 higher than the MSP which is Rs 5,050 per quintal.
Punjab, which is dependent on other states for meeting its over 90% oil consumption requirement, has a big scope of bringing area under this crop as the yield of the state is also higher than the national average yield of the crop which is around 15 quintals per hectare. Also Punjab’s land is quite suitable for growing oilseeds, said experts.
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