Bad weather to cut Tur output by 40% this year

The production of Tur (red gram) is likely to come down a third during this year on account of drought and bad weather conditions in major growing areas. Compared to last year's record output of 3 million tonnes (mt), the country is likely to harvest 2 mt this year.

Major producing states like Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have seen bad weather conditions and low rainfall during sowing. Karnataka has had drought in 100 taluks, including Tur-growing districts of Gulbarga and Bidar. In addition to lower area under sowing in these states during kharif, the yields were lower due to lack of rain and improper growth of the crop, Basavaraj Ingin, president, Karnataka Redgram Growers' Association, said.

 

Karnataka contributes 15 per cent of the national Tur output at 400,000 tonnes. However, this year, the production is estimated to be half of that. In Gulbarga district alone, the sowing was done in 320,000 hectares, and of this, crop in 180,000 hectares was damaged due to lack of rain.

"Carry-over stock is 700,000 tonnes from last year and the imports are 400,000 tonnes between January and December this year. With this year's domestic production of 2 mt, the country can manage the requirements. There will be more imports starting from January 2012 and we can see import of another 700,000 tonnes next year," Bimal Kothari, vice-president, India Pulses and Grains Association, said.

Tur constitutes 14-15 per cent of the total pulses production, which is estimated at 17 million tonnes this year. During the current kharif, Tur was sown in about 3.88 million hectares across the country, a decline of 14.9 per cent compared to last year, figures compiled by Ministry of Agriculture showed.

However, the agriculture ministry does not agree with the traders as far as this year's crop size is concerned. According to a senior official in the ministry, the first advance estimates of food grain production indicate a normal production and the second advance estimates would give a clearer picture. The ministry would announce the latter very soon, the official said.

Traders feel despite a short crop this year, there will not be a severe impact on the prices of the commodity. "We do not see a big rise in the prices as there will be more imports. Prices are around Rs 32-33 a kilogram. From January, we can expect imports from Myanmar, where there is an excess crop and that would keep the prices stable," Sri Prakash Goenka, director, U Goenka Sons Pvt Ltd, and a Mumbai-based pulses trader, said.

Ingin said farmers in Karnataka are resorting to distress sale as the middlemen are procuring at prices lesser than the minimum support price of Rs 3,200 a quintal. Prices are in the range of Rs 2,400-3,500 a quintal, depending on the quality. Before harvest, the prices were at Rs 4,200 a quintal.