Indian Oilseed Output Falling

WASHINGTON - Oct 8/06 - SNS -- Initial, official estimates of oilseed produyction levels in India show a 1.5 million hectare decline in total kharif (fall and early winter harvested) planted area to 15.5 million hectares this year, reports the U.S. agricultural attache for the country.

Total kharif oilseed production is estimated to decline marginally. This decline is not expected to have much impact on the total annual oilseed production because the area reduction under peanuts would be mostly offset by likely higher rapeseed production this winter.

Peanut or groundnut planted acreage for 2006-07 is forecast to decline by 12% to 6 million hectares. Most of the decline will be in Andhra Pradesh, the second largest peanut growing state, where the monsoon rains were erratic.

The peanut crop in Gujarat, the largest peanut growing state, also suffered to some extent due to heavy rains and floods. There has also been some shift in planted area from peanut to cotton in the state of Gujarat.

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