Soy rise

Madhya Pradesh,which accounts for a lions share of the production,has surpassed the sowing target of 56 lakh hectares by 1.25 lakh hectares. The monsoon has been excellent so far,with nearly all soybean-growing districts receiving their share of rainfall,some even excess.

Maharashtra has reported the most noteworthy increase by exceeding the target of 25.30 lakh hectares by sowing the crop in 28.26 lakh hectares. Maharashtra is significant because farmers were expected to go for cotton which fetched more price,said Rajesh Agrawal,spokesperson and coordinator of Soybean Processors Association of India,which releases all-India figures.

Though its share is not much,Gujarat has emerged as the new entrant by sowing the crop in 0.62 lakh hectares,a shift from groundnut.

Overall,the country has exceeded the target of 93.130 lakh hectares to reach 100.131 lakh hectares,an increase of more than 107 per cent.

The industry says its a little early to talk of total production because moisture content in the weeks before harvesting is crucial,and in that sense weather will be the deciding factor.

But the increase in the acreage has given the industry hopes of a bumper crop. The area under cultivation had dropped to 93 lakh lakh hectares from the 98 lakh hectares the previous year.

Director, Soybean Research Institute,Dr S K Shrivastava said the reduction in the yield in 2010 was influenced by the events of 2009 when de-oiled cake DOC exports dipped drastically due to bumper production in the US,Brazil and Argentina.

But despite the increase in cultivation,low yield continues to be an area of concern across the country,more so in MP,where small and marginal farmers grow the crop.

The average yield per hectare is less than 1.2 tonnes in India,when many countries harvest at least twice the quantity.

Even in India,crop grown in regulated conditions and monitored by experts from the Indore-based institute or its research centres gives more than twice the yield.

Though farmers are adopting new techniques,the change is very slow. Since soybean crop is much sturdy and cost of cultivation is less,its still favoured by many in MP,where its the main kharif crop.

Sandeep Shrivastava of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh said the farmers have started opting for short duration variety that can be harvested within 60 to 70 days where as the traditional variety takes between 90 to 120 days.

Dr S K Shrivastava said though the long duration varieties give much more yield,farmers have started opting for the other varieties to negate the vagaries of the nature.

The seed replacement rate in Maharashtra is believed to be very high but MP has little to boast where the estimates range between as low as 12 per cent to 30 per cent. Instead of using certified or quality seeds,farmers in India use seeds saved from the previous harvest,which also largely affects production.

Meanwhile,the MP government is doing its bit to increase the per hectare yield. The state signed an MoU with Japan International Cooperation Agency in December 2010 for maximizing soybean production.

Japan has more than 2000 years of history of soybean cultivation and and has developed technology for better yields. Under the project,the agency will collaborate with Indian scientists to revise and improve the technology for adaptation in MP.

On a high
This Year,Overall

Country has exceeded the target of 93.130 lakh hectare to reach 100.131 lakh hectare a 107 rise

Statewise

Madhya Pradesh: Has exceeded its sowing target of 56 lakh hectares by 1.25 lakh hectares

Maharashtra: Has exceeded its target of 25.30 lakh hectares by 2.96 lakh hectares

Gujarat: New entrant,has sown the crop in 0.62 lakh hectare