The Agro Marketing Intelligence and Business Promotion Centre of the Coimbatore-based Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has predicted no dramatic changes in the farm gate prices of sunflower seeds and tapioca this season.

The econometric analysis and traders survey carried out at the Vellakoil Regulated Market and based on the prices of the past 15 years, have revealed that the farm gate price of sunflower seed will remain at around Rs.3,500 to Rs.3,600 per quintal during April-May. The chances of increase in tapioca prices are very limited too.

TNAU has asked the farmers to make their sale decisions based on these forecasts.

In Tamil Nadu, Erode, Karur, Ottanchathiram, Palani, Dindugal, Tirupur, and Virudhunagar are the main areas of cultivation of sunflower. Total production in 2014-15 stood at 13,000 tonnes.

Tapioca prices, according to the centre, will remain in the range of Rs.2,500 to Rs.3,000 per tonne.

The crop is mainly cultivated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, and Assam. Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Salem are the major tapioca cultivating
districts in Tamil Nadu. Harvest starts in October and continues until February. There was total harvest of 4.37 million tonnes in 2014-15.