Sunflower cultivation poor in Sundargarh regardless of potential

By Express News Service

ROURKELA:  In spite of the massive potential for sunflower and groundnut manufacturing in Sundargarh and excessive market demand, the district is lagging behind in cultivation of the 2 rewarding oilseed crops largely as a consequence of lack of presidency help.  

In the rabi season final 12 months, round 14,953 hectare (ha) of land was lined beneath oilseeds cultivation in Sundargarh. Sunflower cultivation was programmed for 250 ha of which solely 207 ha may very well be achieved. For groundnut, it was 495 ha. In the continuing kharif crop, sunflower cultivation has not been programmed, whereas 3,500 ha out of 16,900 ha for oilseeds is earmarked for groundnut.   

Sources within the Agriculture division attributed the constraints for sunflower cultivation to unavailability of seeds. In the current previous, the price of import-dependent sunflower oil had gone as much as Rs 215 per kg however now it’s priced at round Rs 190. The price of groundnut oil too is on the upper facet. 

District agriculture officer of Panposh sub-division Religious Beck stated between 2005 and 2009, sunflower cultivation within the district had dramatically gone up. But subsequently, farmers stayed away from the crop as there was no minimal help worth (MSP) and advertising choice then. In 2021 rabi season, sunflower seeds weren’t out there and farmers had no choice.   

Beck stated sunflower is a worthwhile crop and will get prepared in 100 days with out a lot labour. With systematic cultivation and warranted irrigation, one ha of land can fetch as much as 14 quintal of sunflower. Sundargarh’s 52 per cent crop space is manufactured from excessive land (1.63 lakh ha) of which 76,000 ha is used for labour-intensive paddy crops. In sunflower and groundnut manufacturing, the district has a exceptional potential to assist curb import, he added.  

Incidentally, the Centre has upwardly revised MSP for sunflower to Rs 6,400 per quintal towards the manufacturing price of Rs 4,113. Similarly, MSP for groundnut is Rs 5,800 per quintal towards manufacturing price of Rs 3,873.  Chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) of Sundargarh Birendra Behera stated the agro-ecological circumstances are beneficial for sunflower and groundnut cultivation. In the upcoming 2022 rabi season, efforts could be made to extend cultivation of each the oilseed crops.