OILSEED CROPS
Vegetable oils, besides being a cooking and frying medium also serve as an important source of energy in the daily diet of both rural and urban inhabitants. These oils are obtained from crops commonly designated as oilseeds. However, the indigenous production of these crops in insufficient to meet our requirements of vegetable oils.
SESAMUM
SESAMUM Sesamum is an important oilseed crop of Himachal Pradesh. Occupying an area of 5400 hectares, it produced 3200 tonnes of grain 1996-97. Though the crop is distributed throughout the State, except the districts of Kinnaur, Kullu and Lahaul & Spiti. Major chunk of the area (70%) falls in Kangra district alone. Sesamum is mainly a rainfed crop and is grown on marginal, dry and slopy lands. Average yield in the state is about 5.9 quintals/ ha, but much improvement can be made in its production by following the recommended practices.
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