Lots of pulses,yet not enough

While releasing the first advance estimates of kharif production early this week,Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar announced that at 5.56 million tonnes,the output of pulses was likely to be lower than last year’s 6.16 million tonnes.

The estimates had to be revised downward because of delayed and deficient rains at the time of sowing in Maharashtra,Karnataka,Rajasthan,Gujarat and Bihar. Madhya Pradesh,on the other hand,received excess rainfall,which may affect urad,arhar,and moong because pulses suffer in excess water.

When rainfall was scanty and erratically distributed,trade bodies like the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) had warned that prices of pulses may rise steeply around the Diwali festival.

However,the excess rainfall in most parts of Madhya Pradesh,the traditional pulses bowl of the country,in August and September can also spell good news for the future because that will help the soil retain moisture. “Rabi could be wonderful as MP will witness bumper crops,’’ says R P Singh,in charge of Directorate of Pulses Development,a technology mission on oilseeds,pulses and maize under the Ministry of Agriculture.

Agriculture expert G S Kaushal says to make that happen the government will have to promote pulses over crops such as wheat by giving a hefty bonus. He says farmers will be encouraged to grow pulses over wheat,thereby reducing the burden on the state to procure wheat at the minimum support price. MP procured so much wheat last season that it could not find space to store them.

Unlike other states,MP by cultivating pulses over 13.41 lakh hectares has exceeded the kharif target of 12.11 lakh hectares. Its likely output is 6.5 lakh tonnes.

According to figures collated by the directorate,India grows the most varieties of pulses in the world,and shares about 31 per cent area and 23.5 per cent of production overall as pulse crops are grown in all three seasons,with rabi and kharif making up the lion’s share.

The average area and production of pulses between 2007-08 and 2009-10 were 230.27 lakh hectares and 146.42 lakh tonnes. During this period,the highest coverage was 236.33 lakh hectares in 2007-08 and highest production was 147.62 lakh tonnes the same year,a productivity of 625 kg/hectare.

Productivity (output per unit area) in India,however,is very low compared to that in countries such as Canada (1929 kg/ha),China (1528 kg/ha) and Myanmar (1070 kg/ha). India’s average productivity is 638 kg/ha,just lower than Pakistan’s 646 kg/ha.

The Kanpur-based Indian Institute of Pulses Research,a national institute established by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research,has found that productivity has increased over the last few years but remains way below the international benchmark.

Despite the huge production,the per capita availability is low in India because of the population and high losses during processing. Hulling and splitting losses effectively reduce the output by nearly 25 per cent,while five per cent of the pulses are used as seeds.

If India were to follow the World Health Organisation recommendation of 80 grams of pulses per person per day,the country would need to produce 35 million tonnes every year,says ASSOCHAM,estimating the current production at half of that.

Since India can’t meet its requirement on its own,it imports mainly from Myanmar,Canada,USA and Australia and depends on China,Kenya,Tanzania among other countries for small quantities of various pulses.

In a study paper titled “Emerging Pulses Scenario in 2015”,ASSOCHAM says the demand for pulses will shoot to 21.9 million tonnes in three years,and it will be mainly be fuelled by the middle class.

The area under cultivation of pulses has not ben growing because farmers prefer cereals due to better yield and assured procurement support. Oilseeds such as soybean too fetch a better return.