Ambala farmers keen on growing mustard despite lukewarm demand last season

Nitish Sharma

Ambala, December 17

Despite dwindled earnings in the last season, the mustard oilseed crops continue to attract farmers in Ambala.

As per the data procured from the Agriculture Department, while over 6,900 hectare land was under mustard cultivation in the last season, officials of the department are expecting it to cross the 7,000 hectare mark this year.

An official in the Agriculture Department said though the sowing of mustard came to an end last month, the survey is still on and the area is expected to cross the 7,000 hectare-mark this year.

In the last season, due to the absence of a government procurement agency in the market and lukewarm demand, the farmers were forced to sell their mustard crop below the MSP. While the MSP for rabi marketing season 2023-24 was Rs 5,450 a quintal, the farmers were offered Rs 4,600 to 5,400 a quintal by private players.

Though procurement agency HAFED entered the market on March 14 with commercial purchase, a huge quantity was purchased by the private players below the MSP. The MSP for mustard for the rabi marketing season 2024-25 has been increased to Rs 5,650 a quintal.

Sukhvinder Singh, a farmer who stopped growing wheat for mustard, said, “While last year we grew mustard on 14 acre, this year the area has been increased to 24 acre. The farmers start harvesting mustard by the end of February and are in no position to store the oilseed. They then wait for the procurement agency to enter the market.”

“In the last season, I had sold nearly 50 quintals of mustard seeds at Rs 4,770 a quintal to private players, while the MSP for the season was Rs 5,450 a quintal,” said Sukhvinder, who is also the Block-I president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh).

Deputy Director Agriculture Jasvinder Saini said, “Mustard requires lesser fertiliser and irrigation compared to wheat and it makes the crop more remunerative. The farmers have been showing a good interest in oilseed crops for the past three to four years…”