NEW DELHI, (Sept. 18) - SOYABEAN production is expected to fall to 51lakh tonnes (lt) this year, from last year's level of 53.04 lt,notwithstanding an increase in acreage from 58.12 lakh hectares to 60.02lakh hectares, according to the latest projections made by the SoyabeanProcessors Association of India (SOPA).

In its third report on soyabean crop estimates for kharif 2001, SOPA hasnoted that soyabean acreage this year has gone up by about three per centover kharif 2000 and is also higher than the original estimate of 56 lakhhectare made for the year. Soyabean area in Madhya Pradesh has gone upfrom 40.26 lakh hectares to 42.37 lakh hectares this year and from 6.24lakh hectares to 6.54 lakh hectares in Rajasthan, while declining from10.23 lakh hectares to 9.82 lakh hectares in Maharashtra.

But despite this, total production is expected to drop from 53.04 lt to51 lt, with output falling from 37.30 lt to 36.85 lt in Madhya Pradesh,from 10.02 lt to 8.60 lt in Maharashtra and from 4.95 lt to 4.84 lt inRajasthan. The decline in production is due to lower yields, with overallall-India productivity per hectare falling from 912 tonnes to just 850tonnes this year, with the corresponding reduction being from 926 tonnesto 870 tonnes for Madhya Pradesh, from 980 tonnes to 875 tonnes forMaharashtra and from 800 tonnes to 740 tonnes for Rajasthan.

The lower yields this time has been because of the prolonged dry spellsexperienced in the central parts of the country particularly in theimportant soyabean belt of Madhya Pradesh. The dry spell was speciallypronounced in the second half of the monsoon season.

``Having hit the Kerala coast of May 23, almost a week ahead of schedule,the south-west monsoon presented quite a rosy picture in the first halfof the four month season from July to September. The country's overallprecipitation till end-July was 49.04 cm, as against the normal of 46.61cm for this period. However, the slippages started in August which isusually the rainiest month of the year,'' SOPA pointed out.

While light showers were experienced during the crop's growth phase allthrough the early monsoon period, the picture has deteriorated since thenas practically no rains have been received from August 15 onwards.``Harvesting of early sown crop is being accelerated by a week/fortnightdue to failure of August end and early-September rains. The total cropfor the current season is estimated at not more than last year's as thecrop has been badly affected in the Malwa belt which contributes almost50 per cent of the total crop,'' SOPA's report added.

Kamariddin Idris -- MPOB