Ambala district sees decline of 2 quintal/acre in mustard yield

Tribune News Service

Nitish Sharma

Ambala, April 13

The crop-cutting experiment by the Agriculture Department has reported a drop of 1.5 to 2 quintals per acre in mustard crop yield in the district. Though farmers were expecting a bumper crop till January, hailstorm and rains dashed their hopes. In some areas of Shahzadpur and Naraingarh, the crop was badly damaged.

Subhash Kumar, an oilseed farmer in Saha area, said, “Last year the average yield was 8 quintals per acre, but this year the average yield was only around 6 quintals. Due to good weather conditions till January, I was expecting a better yield but untimely rains impacted it.”

Rajinder Kumar, another mustard farmer, said, “Due to unfavourable weather conditions, the yield has been on the lower side this year. I have a yield of just over 30 quintals from five-acre, while last year the yield was nearly 40 quintals.”

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) district president Malkeet Singh said, “The farmers have suffered heavy loss in mustard due to poor weather this year. The farmers in Shahzadpur and Naraingarh areas have suffered a major loss as in some cases the entire crop was damaged.”

He added “Besides the yield loss, a huge quantity was sold to private buyers below the MSP in the absence of government purchase at all purchase centres. While the MSP was Rs 5,650 a quintals, farmers sold the produce between Rs 4,600 to Rs 5,300 per quintal. The government should formulate some policy to safeguard oilseed farmers if it really wants the area under mustard crop to increase in the district.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA) Jasvinder Saini said, “During the crop-cutting experiment in the field, a drop of 1.5 to 2 quintals per acre was observed. Though the final report is yet to be received from the field, the preliminary reports suggest a decrease in the average yield in the district. Last year the average yield was 7 to 7.50 quintals per acre.”

35% drop in arrival of mustard seeds

• As per the data procured from the marketing board, over 55,381 quintals mustard seeds have arrived at various grain markets of the district.
• Over 25,942 quintals were purchased by the private purchasers and 29,439 qunitals by the government procurement agency. A drop of 35% in total arrivals has been observed so far.
• Last year 85,132 quintal seeds had arrived upto April 11, against the total arrivals of 55,381 quintals recorded this year. Though the arrivals are reported from seven grain markets, only the ones in Mullana and Shahzadpur were declared as purchase centres for mustard procurement

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