ANANTAPUR: The Ukraine-Russia war impact has impacted edible oil prices across the country. The groundnut seed scarcity to have serious impact on the coming rabi season, the peak season for seed production in all major oil seed producing states.
The groundnut seed price rose to its highest peak of Rs.190 a month ago. Oil prices went up along with prices of sunflower and palm oil after the war started a month ago.
Oil price reached Rs 180 to Rs 190 per a litre in the retail market though some shopping malls are having stocks and selling them at lesser prices. The hike in groundnut oil prices is also due to the huge demand in the market. Pure groundnut oil is sold at Rs 450 a litre. Farmers were selling for oil extraction instead of keeping or supplying seed for rabi season.
A temple management in Anantapur had to throw out more than 10 litres of groundnut oil that was adulterated and purchased from regular shop. The seller could not notice the presence of adulterated oil and supplied it to the temple because of huge demand.
The crops of the recent kharif season were badly hit due to unfavorable climatic conditions and untimely heavy rains in the state. Farmers incurred huge losses in AP. Anantpur has been top grower of groundnut in the country.
The state government now concentrated on procurement of seed for rabi which could only survive in the upcoming kharif season.
Anantapur joint-collector Kethan Garge said the agriculture department and seed procurement agencies must start the process by identifying areas where groundnut had yield good in the kharif.
In addition, various agencies were asked to procure seeds from Telangana and Karnataka to meet the demand.
Peanuts and peanut oil have been an integral part of cooking in Rayalaseema and Karnataka as also Gujarat and Maharashtra. The present market trends are a cause of worry to families that are unable to afford high prices.
People are unable to afford the high peanut price. Even the traditional hotels now use peanut selectively in curries, Krishna, a hotel proprietor said.
In the recent kharif, the major crop was badly damaged in about 11 lakh acres in Anantapur district alone.
“Anantapur is top producer of groundnut in the country, but the crop in 33 mandals were hit due to poor rainfall in the peak period. Normally, three showers are enough for the crop, but the shadow zone creates troubles,” Manjunath, a farmer from Rolla, observed.
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