Our Bureau

Chennai , Oct. 25

SOYABEAN production this year could be about five per cent higher than last year's production of 58.51 lakh tonnes (lt), according to a projection made by the Soyabean Processors Association (Sopa).

This year's crop estimate of 61.26 lt, as per projections made by Sopa in its third survey, is also higher than the initial projections of 57.5 lt. Sopa expects the crop to better its second survey as the crop could be particularly high in Madhya Pradesh (33.35 lt vs 30.26 lt).

This is because the crop is seen excellent in 23 per cent of the area under soya surveyed by a Sopa team and good in 33 per cent of the area.

Excellent would mean productivity exceeding a tonne per hectare, while good would mean a yield between 800 kg and one tonne a hectare.

What, however, is affecting production in the central State is the fact that 28 per cent of the area under the crop will yield less than 700 kg a hectare.

Overall, the average yield a hectare in the country is expected to be 799 kg, down from 812 kg last year and 1,074 kg in 2003.

A four-lakh hectare rise in the area under the crop is helping production this year.

Lack of rains during the flowering and seed stage in August, especially in Nimad and Malwa region, and infestation of insects and weeds have affected the crop in Madhya Pradesh.

In Maharashtra, heavy infestation of weeds has affected the yield and, as a result, only four per cent of the area under the crop is seen as excellent.

The crop is good in 48 per cent of the area and the output could be a tad lower at 23.89 lt.

The yield is, however, seen high at 822 kg a hectare.

In Rajasthan, the situation is seen as the same during the second survey but the yield is seen up by 14 kg to 704 kg a hectare.

As per the survey, productivity in Andhra Pradesh is likely to be the highest at 965 kg a hectare against 800 kg last year.

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