Rapeseed cultivation in India increased by 4.5% to reach 8 mln ha

India is set to set a record for winter crop sowing thanks to abundant soil moisture following strong monsoons. According to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, winter crop acreage has already increased by 6.1% to 47.9 million hectares since the beginning of October, Reuters reports.

The increased sowing area is expected to help India increase crop production and reduce domestic food prices. Increased rapeseed production could also help the world’s largest vegetable oil importer reduce its overseas purchases, the publication notes.

According to the Indian Ministry of Agriculture, since the start of sowing on October 1, Indian farmers have already planted winter crops on 47.9 million hectares, an increase of 6.1% from a year ago.

According to the data, wheat plantings reached 24.14 million hectares, up 10.8% year-on-year, while rice paddy area increased by 11.4% to 1 million hectares. Rapeseed plantings reached 8 million hectares, up 4.5% year-on-year, and chickpea plantings increased by 3.5% to 7.8 million hectares.

Rapeseed is India’s primary winter oilseed crop, meeting nearly two-thirds of its demand through overseas purchases of palm, soybean, and sunflower oil, primarily from Indonesia, Malaysia, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, and Ukraine.

“If the weather remains favorable, especially from mid-January to mid-March, rapeseed yields could improve this year,” said Ashwini Bansod, vice president of commodity research at Phillip Capital India, a Mumbai-based brokerage.

Tags: India, rapeseed, sown area