Agriculture ministry expects higher pulses production

The Union ministry of agriculture expects the total domestic production of pulses to be 2.2-2.3 million tonnes (mt) in 2011-12, as against 1.8 mt in 2010-11.

According to official sources, crop area of around 600,000-700,000 hectares was lost in the kharif season due to unseasonal rains. Therefore, the government has allocated Rs 800 crore for crop-intensive zones, to lure farmers, for growing more pulses in the rabi season. “With the added incentive, crop area of atleast 400,000-500,000 hectares could be restored,” they said.

The sum is an additional allocation besides the usual schemes under the technology mission on pulses and oilseeds. Farmers were advised to grow pulses as an intercrop within two main cash crops.

The ministry, estimates are in contrast to the industry estimates, where production is likely to decline by five-seven per cent to 17 mt, against the earlier estimate of 18.5 mt. For better marketability, the ministry has advised states to ask local schools and anganwadis, where the mid-day meal programme could be tied-up with local farmers to purchase pulses.

In future,too, for any food-guarantee scheme, arrangements would be done to directly tie farmers and procurement agencies at the state-level, said official sources.“On the one hand, farmers are growing pulses, but we are importing for local needs. This has to be minimised. On the other, they should be ensured a remunerative price for the produce through such linkages”, they added.

Besides, all private seed agencies and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) were advised to develop hybrid varieties. In the new plan, the ministry has proposed allocations to develop the entire value chain of pulses.

“While all missions of oilseeds and pulses would continue, it is expected there would be an increased allocation by 15-20 per cent in the 12th Five-year Plan for these schemes”, added the official source.

India is a net importer of pulses. In the current financial year, this is expected to be last year’s level of about 2.7 million tonnes (mt) according to current reports. The country produced a record 18.09 million tonnes of pulses in 2010-11 crop year (July-June), compared to 14.66 million tonnes in the same period last year.

Although India is the largest pulses producer, it had been importing three-four mt of pulses to meet its annual demand of 18-19 mt. The prices have, however, eased between 30-50 per cent, depending on varieties from their peak of 2008-09.