East Vid farmers opting for Safflower cultivation Safflower crop in Chandrapur district. By Dheeraj Fartode : Safflower or Kardai is an edible oil plant with highest percentage of good fat and second-lowest content of bad fat AS PRODUCTION cost of gram and wheat crops is in excessive quantity farmers of East Vidarbha districts are opting for Kardai (safflower) an edible oil plant with highest percentage of good fat and second-lowest content of bad fat. As per official figures farmers in Chandrapur district have sowed the highest number of safflower in an area of over 2000 acre followed by Gadchiroli farmers in an area over 500 acres and Gondia district in over 300 acres area. Joint Director Agriculture Ravindra Bhosale informed The Hitavada that the production cost of gram and wheat crops was high as compared to safflower. “It can be cultivated with very low production cost low water and no danger from wild animals due to its thorny properties good health and good quality and market price” he said. After an intensive campaign undertaken by the department farmers in large numbers went for safflower crop following cultivation of paddy. In 2019 the crop was sowed in Gondia district. Later farmers in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts also opted for safflower cultivation. Under the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) Scheme the agriculture department organised workshops and training for farmers and encouraged them by distributing seeds free of cost. Maharashtra and Karnataka are major safflower growing states and it is being cultivated in large numbers in Marathwada and Western Maharashtra regions. “Farmers can get a yield of 5-6 quintal per acre. Importantly the procurement price of safflower also increases every year. Procurement price was Rs 3600 per quintal in 2017 which increased to Rs 4100 in 2018 Rs 4945 in 2019 and Rs 5215 in 2020. The growing procurement price shows increasing demand of safflower in the market” Bhosale said. “Safflower has a high percentage of linoleic acid. It helps greatly in reducing cholesterol levels” he added. Farmer leader Vijay Jawandhia informed The Hitavada “Safflower oil is good for health and it will benefit the farmers as it requires less water.” Bhosale further said that the agriculture department had decided to tie with Panjabrao Deshmukh Agriculture University which had an oil production unit. Dr. M Sujata Director of Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR) visited the fields in the Chandrapur district and took a review of the crop.

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