Despite more acreage, crisis looms over soyabean crops

Soyabean, the main oilseed crop of Kharif season, has been sown in more area in the current Kharif season 2023-24. The acreage has increased by about 1.25 lakh hectare.  The sowing area increased due to good rains in July in three major soyabean producing states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. At one point of time, it was expected that soyabean production would be much better this year, but the drought-like situation in the entire country in August has dashed the hopes of the farmers.

The month of August, rainfall was 36 per cent less than normal - the lowest in the last 120 years. Due to lack of rain, the temperature remained above normal, due to which about 50 per cent of the soyabean crops withered away. Soybean flowers in August. The dry flowers got scattered because there was no rain. Farmers tried to save the plants through irrigation. The plants that were left are producing seeds at this time, but due to the high temperature, the soyabean pods are drying up. Now the situation does not seem to be improving even with irrigation.

The maximum production of soyabean is in Madhya Pradesh. It is mostly cultivated in the Malwa-Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh. Dhar, Jhabua, Ratlam, Dewas, Indore, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Sehore, Shajapur, Raisen, Rajgarh and Vidisha districts come under this.

Manmohan Sharma, a soyabean farmer from Ahmedpur village in Vidisha district, told Rural Voice that due to lack of rain, the heat has increased, due to which almost half of the soyabean crop has been destroyed. This is the time for sowing of soyabean beans, but due to the heat, the beans are drying up. He said that not only lack of rains, but also not getting enough electricity cause concern. Earlier villages used to get electricity for 10 hours, now it is available for 6 hours. In this also there is load shedding for 1 hour -- thus electricity is available only for 5 hours for irrigation. Due to this also the situation of soybean farmers has become more serious.

Manmohan Sharma's crops in 10 bighas has been damaged due to lack of adequate irrigation. The condition of the remaining 10 bighas of crops is also not very good. It is difficult to say what will happen if the rain situation does not improve even in September. This is the condition of most of the farmers in his village.

Soyabean farmer Ashish Vyas of Khamkheda in Vidisha district told Rural Voice that this time there was a significant increase in the area under sowing of soyabean in his area. Out of 7,000 acres, soyabean was sown in about 5,000 acres, but due to lack of rain in August, cracks have developed in the fields and the situation has become serious. Rains keep the temperature low which is good for soyabean crop. But due to high temperature, even irrigation does not benefit much. This is the reason why despite irrigation the condition of the crop is not improving. This is the reason why despite irrigation the condition of the crop is not improving. Due to heat, there is more infestation of insects.

If there is no further rain then the crops will be completely ruined. The quality of the remaining crops will be poor and the grains will be small. In such a situation, it will be very difficult to even meet the cost of cultivation.

Soyabean sowing area has increased by 1.22 lakh hectare to 125.13 lakh hectare in the current kharif season from 123.91 lakh hectare in the same period last year, according to the data of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers till September 1. In Madhya Pradesh, the area has decreased from 53.87 lakh hectare to 53.35 lakh hectare. Whereas in Maharashtra it has increased from 48.70 lakh hectare to 50.44 lakh hectare. Soyabean has been sown in 11.44 lakh hectare in Rajasthan, which was marginally higher than 11.51 lakh hectare last year.

For the current Kharif marketing season 2023-24, the government has fixed the minimum support price of soybean at Rs 4,600 per quintal. At present, the price of soybean in the markets is hovering around Rs 5,000-7,700 per quintal.