MP farmers pick tur for kharif

As the kharif season nears, farmers in Madhya Pradesh have started preparing farms for sowing cereals. Since the pulses segment fetched good rates in 2006-07, farmers have shown an interest in going for more cereal cultivation this year.

The main cereals to be sown are tur, green lentil and black peas. However, tur seems to be the favourite owing to the high prices the commodity witnessed last year.

Market sources said that tur cultivation acreage may reach 22 lakh hectares in the state. Last year it stood at around 18 lakh hectares. Reports of an expected good monsoon has also built up farmers' confidence of achieving better yield this kharif season. If there is no adverse weather, the yield of cereal (including tur, moong and urad) may reach 6.2 million tonnes in the state, compared to last year's production of 4.6 million tonnes. Country produces around 13-14 million tonnes of pulses in a year.