Sunflower yield low, nixes Haryana farmers’ chances to make profits

Nitish Sharma

Ambala, May 23

Although sunflower produce is being sold at rates higher than the minimum support price (MSP), farmers are concerned that they won’t be able to profit as the yield is substantially low this year. Sanjeev Kumar, a farmer from Shahpur village, who reached the new grain market in Ambala Cantonment, said, “I had sown sunflower in four-acre and the average yield is around five quintal per acre. In the same area, last year, the average yield was around 10 quintal per acre. The commission agent has offered Rs 6,400 per quintal, which is around Rs 200 more than what I got last year but I am still unlikely to make profit due to poor yield and higher input costs.”This year, the MSP for the crop has been set at Rs 6,015 per quintal. The government agency is expected to start procurement from June 1. But they will face stiff competition from private players, who are offering Rs 6,250 to 6,750 per quintal. In some cases, rates as high as Rs 7,150 per quintal have also been offered. Hafed District Manager VP Malik, said, “There are reports of lower yield from the field but the farmers have been selling their crop to private players as they are offering higher price than the MSP.

Situation causes concern

The average yield has dropped from 10 quintal per acre last year to around eight quintal this year. But there are farmers, in my knowledge, who are harvesting four to five quintal per acre due to poor quality of seeds. — Navjot Singh, farmer from Mohra village

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Harvest below par

The quality of sunflower seeds that has arrived is on the lower side compared to last year. Prices are around Rs 6,600 per quintal and any fluctuations are not expected. — Ajay Gupta, a trader

Neeraj Bhardwaj, secretary of the new grain market in Ambala Cantonment, said “Around 1,000 quintal of sunflower seeds have arrived so far and the stocks are being purchased by private players. Last year, the total arrivals were around 10,500 quintal.” In Ambala, sunflower was sowed on over 10,000 acres this year but farmers claimed that the yield has dropped by half, compared to last year.

“But there are farmers, in my knowledge, who are harvesting four to five quintal per acre due to poor quality of seeds. There are farmers, in my knowledge, who are harvesting four to five quintal per acre due to poor quality of seeds,” Navjot Singh, a farmer from Mohra village, said. Instead of a single flower on the plant, there are multiple flowers, and the size of the flower is also very small, he added.

Harvest Affected by Poor quality seeds

• MSP was set at 6,015 per quintal
• Private players offering 6,250 to 6,750 per quintal
• Average yield last year was 10 quintal per acre
• Average yield has reduced to 8 quintal per acre in some case to 5 quintal per acre
• Farmers claim poor quality of seed provided to sow