Area for pulses set to shrink in Maharashtra; cotton, soyabean to take their place

With the monsoon still to make its presence felt in major parts of the zones growing pulses, seed manufacturers are reporting greater shift towards cotton and soyabean from pulses. Mulay pointed out that cotton growers have managed to get over Rs 10,000/quintal and soyabean growers had commanded prices over Rs 7,000/quintals. “Both these commodities have commanded multiple times the government Minimum Support Price (MSP) so it is natural for farmers to shift to such crops,” he said. Also, in case of mung and urad, the sowing window closes by the end of June with farmers then shifting to other crops. With that window fast closing, most farmers would certainly shift to other crops.

Pradeep Jain, founder president of the Khandesh Cotton Ginner and Traders Welfare Association, spoke about a 10-15 per cent increase in cotton area across the country. “Based on our interaction with seed dealers, we can see a clear shift towards cotton in many areas. With farmers commanding prices as high as Rs 14,000/quintal, it is no wonder they would gravitate towards the crop,” he said. The most shift, Jain and other cotton growers said, would happen at the expense of pulses.

In case of soyabean, Indore-based Soyabean Processors Association (SOPA) also talked about a 5 per cent increase in area. D N Pathak, executive director of the association, pointed that the present mandi prices of soyabean are higher than the new MSP being declared. “At present, soyabean is trading at Rs 7,600/quintal which is 40 per cent higher than the new MSP of Rs 4,300/quintal. Of course, farmers would be drawn to this crop,” he said. The growth would come from all major soyabean growing states in the country. Pathak, however, added that it all will depend on the progress of monsoon.

At present pulses are the only crops which are trading below their MSP. Rabi chana is trading at Rs 4,300/quintal much below its older MSP of Rs 5,100/quintal. Tur is trading near its MSP but farmers do not have much to sell Pulses farmers especially tur grower have already burnt their fingers in terms of both yield and prices. Last season tur yields were hit due to unseasonal rains during the harvest time which had seen yields dropping by 20 per cent. The higher than normal prices had seen the government take action to keep prices down . Free imports and imposition of stock limits had seen the prices correcting downwards.

While tur prices had remained within the MSP, other pulses like chana have traded well below their MSP.

Harsha Rai, vice president of Indore-based agro commodities firm Mayur Corporation, talked about a nation-wide 20 per cent dip in the area of pulses this season. In Karnataka, the pulses acreage, she said, would be taken by cotton, while in Maharashtra, pulses would be replaced by cotton and soyabean.