Soybean sowing tops 28.9 lakh hectares

The Soybean Processors ASsociation of India (SOPA) on Wednesday said that 28.923 lakh hectares have been covered under soybean sowing, which is much higher than the official data of 6.920 lakh hectares.

In a release issued by SOPA, D,N, Pathak, executive director of the association said "There is a 7 to 10 days lag in reporting of government data which is the reason for the official figures being lower than our estimates."Due to delayed monsoon, the sowing started late, as compared to last year.

However, with sufficient rains in most of Madhya Pradesh, the sowing is progressing at a fast pace and SOPA expects that by 15th July, the entire state would have been covered.

"The sowing progress in Maharashtra is slow due to lack of sufficient soil moisture but we hope it will catch up in the next two weeks.

Sowing is progressing satisfactorily across the other major producing states,"Pathak said.In Rajasthan, soybean sowing has reached approximately 35–40% of the targeted area and in Maharashtra, sowing progress varies significantly across the state.

In some districts, 40–50% of the area has been covered, while in others only 5–10% sowing has been completed.

Further progress is dependent on adequate rainfall."We expect that the area covered under soybean will exceed last year’s figures.

Many farmers who had shifted to corn last year have returned to soybean this year, because of favourable soybean prices.

Over production will, of course, depend on distribution of rainfall during the next three months," Pathak said. ...