Sesamum shows volatility with sharp price swings over three sessions

India’s oilseed and fibre crop markets displayed mixed price movements in early April, with several commodities trading above their Minimum Support Prices (MSP) even as arrivals fluctuated sharply across mandis.

Cotton prices remained firm above the MSP of Rs 7,710, trading at Rs 8,346.98 per quintal on April 6, compared to Rs 8,073.53 on April 5 and Rs 8,332.18 on April 4. Arrivals, however, surged significantly to 5,670.06 metric tonnes on April 6 from just 471.57 tonnes the previous day, indicating a sharp increase in market supply.

Among oilseeds, copra continued to command a substantial premium over its MSP of Rs 12,100, with prices at Rs 21,470.60 on April 6, though down from a spike of Rs 24,945.63 on April 5 and Rs 16,201.39 on April 4. Arrivals remained relatively low, at 107.83 tonnes on April 6, reflecting tight supply conditions.

Groundnut prices hovered close to MSP levels of Rs 7,263, trading at Rs 7,362.86 on April 6 after dipping to Rs 6,485.62 on April 5 and recovering to Rs 7,125.85 on April 4. Arrivals rose sharply to 4,836.48 tonnes on April 6 from 181.96 tonnes on April 5, pointing to increased market participation.

Mustard continued to trade above its MSP of Rs 6,200, with prices at Rs 6,404.21 on April 6, Rs 6,357.32 on April 5, and Rs 6,522.38 on April 4. Arrivals surged to 25,932.43 tonnes on April 6 from 4,852.82 tonnes on April 5, indicating strong supply inflows.

Soyabean prices remained marginally above MSP levels of Rs 5,328, trading at Rs 5,423.37 on April 6, compared to Rs 5,394.93 and Rs 5,484.85 in the preceding sessions. Arrivals rose significantly to 10,685.87 tonnes on April 6 from 335.25 tonnes on April 5, reflecting seasonal supply pressure.

In contrast, sunflower prices continued to trade below MSP levels of Rs 7,721, at Rs 6,758.51 on April 6, Rs 6,690.93 on April 5, and Rs 6,723.74 on April 4. Arrivals fluctuated between 1,774.10 tonnes and 2,020.20 tonnes over the three-day period.

Safflower also remained under pressure, trading below its MSP of Rs 6,540 at Rs 5,561.39 on April 6, though recovering from Rs 4,600.00 on April 5 and Rs 5,252.88 on April 4. Arrivals were minimal, ranging from 5.00 to 35.70 tonnes.

Sesamum (til) showed volatility, trading above MSP of Rs 9,846 at Rs 10,670.84 on April 6, after a sharp dip to Rs 7,234.08 on April 5 and recovery to Rs 9,942.33 on April 4. Arrivals increased to 316.59 tonnes on April 6 from just 6.25 tonnes the previous day.

Overall, the data highlights a market characterised by uneven price realisation across oilseeds, with commodities like copra, mustard, and cotton maintaining premiums over MSP, while sunflower and safflower lag behind. Sharp fluctuations in arrivals across crops indicate supply-side volatility, with prices responding selectively to demand conditions and market absorption capacity.