Heavy rains likely to spell trouble for tur crop

The recent spell of heavy rains will likely impact the tur (arhar/pigeon pea) crop in Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra and Gujarat among other States.

Growers in Karnataka fear that the excess rains, which have caused water logging across several areas, could trigger diseases like phytophthora root rot.

“It is still raining here. The excess rains have caused water logging across several areas and will lead to diseases such as root rot that will lead to crop loss” said Basavaraj Ingin, President of Karanataka Pradesh Red Gram Growers Association in Kalaburgi. The rains have impacted other crops such as urad, moong which were ready to harvest in the district, he said.

Tur growing areas in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana received heavy spell of rains last week. As per IMD data, rainfall in Kalaburgi was 69 per cent more than normal during August 29-September 4, while the precipitation was more than normal in Bidar (210 per cent) and Yadgir (249 per cent) in Karnataka. In adjacent districts of Maharashtra such as Latur (229 per cent) and Nanded (264 per cent) and in Telangana such as Sangareddy (328 per cent), Vikarabad (326 per cent) and Nizamabad (336 per cent) have also experienced excess precipitation.

Acreage up

As of August 30, the pulses acreages were up 7.26 per cent across the country at 125.13 lakh hectares (lh) against 116.66 lh during the same period a year ago. The tur acreage across the country were up 12.37 per cent at 45.78 lakh ha over same period last year’s 40.74 lakh ha.

Karnataka, which has the largest area under tur, has registered a 23 per cent increase in acreage at 15.67 lh compared with 12.73 lh a year ago. Maharashtra has registed 9.6 per cent increase at 12.11 lh against 11.04 lh a year ago.

Ingin said the growers have urged the Government to assess the impact of the rains on the crops and provide relief. “We feel that the rains could have impacted the standing tur crop in about 2 lakh hectares in Kalaburgi alone,” he said.

More beneficial?

Officials in Karnataka said though there will be some impact due to water-logging in some areas of Kalaburgi, the latest spell rains are considered to be more beneficial for the tur crop than harmful, as we had a deficit rains during most part of August. Trade sources in Kalaburgi said the impact of the excess rains would be known over the next couple of weeks.

A senior agri official in Telangana said red gram (tur) was one of the crops affected in the State due to heavy rains along with cotton in some areas.

Bimal Kothari, Chairman, India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the apex trade body said there might be some impact on tur crop due to excess rains, but it is difficult to assess at this moment. However, tur prices have come down by ₹25 a kg in the recent weeks, he said.