Indian farmers are reducing rapeseed and mustard planting, opting for heat-resistant crops offering similar returns due to rising temperatures.

Rising temperatures are causing Indian farmers to reduce rapeseed planting, potentially increasing costly imports of cooking oils like palm, soy, and sunflower.

Higher-than-normal temperatures in October and November impacted crops in Rajasthan, the largest rapeseed-producing state.

Some early-planted rapeseed crops failed to germinate, prompting farmers to switch to other crops.

In key districts of Rajasthan, temperatures were 2 to 7 degrees Celsius above normal in recent weeks.

A farmer in Dholpur reported that rapeseed crops on 5 out of 15 acres failed to germinate or wilted shortly after germination.

Farmer Vedpal Tyagi reduced his rapeseed planting from 20 acres to 10 acres, opting for wheat and potatoes instead.

In Rajasthan, rapeseed planting fell 7.2% to 3.12 million hectares as of 21st November 2024, government data showed.

Higher temperatures also impacted rapeseed planting in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana, potentially cutting the total area by 10% from last year.

Despite a 5.3% hike in the minimum support price to Rs 5,950 per 100 kg, concerns over low soybean prices discouraged farmers from planting rapeseed.

Rising wheat and chickpea prices have driven farmers to allocate more land to these crops, reducing rapeseed acreage.

India relies on imports for a third of its cooking oil needs, sourcing palm oil, soy oil, and sunflower oil from countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, and Ukraine.

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