India’s pulses harvest during the kharif 2013 season is expected to be between 65 lakh tonnes (LT) and 70 LT, higher than the 59 LT last kharif season.
“Assuming normal weather conditions over the coming four weeks, we expect pulses harvest during the kharif 2013 season would be between 65 LT on the lower side and 70 LT on the higher side,” India Pulses And Grains Association (IPGA) Chairman Pravin Dongre told PTI here.
India’s total production for 2012-13 was 18 million tonnes (MT) of which the kharif produce was 5.95 MT and rabi produce was 12.05 MT.
The kharif season accounts only for 35 per cent of the annual production. The rabi season (February/March harvest) accounts for a dominant part, Dongre said.
Coming after last year’s delayed and aberrant monsoon, this year’s widespread rains across the country have provided tremendous encouragement to growers. This is reflected in area coverage for various crops, including pulses.
Also, a sharp hike in minimum support price in 2011 and 2012 sent out a strong signal to pulses growers. Between 2011 and 2013, MSP has been hiked by a hefty 30 per cent.
According to the Weather Watch Group under the Ministry of Agriculture, the area under pulses, as of August 2, was about 79.5 lakh hectares, against 63.0 lakh hectares in the same period in 2012. (Acreage data is updated every week.)
Normal area for pulses during the kharif season is 100-110 lakh hectares. Dongre said the normal acreage will be reached and possibly exceeded. “We will get a final picture by the end-August,” he said. But he also said that pulses imports will continue, to meet the domestic shortfall.
“We expect demand conditions to remain stable-to-good. With the festival season round the corner, demand for pulses is expected to pick up,” Dongre said.