The Hindu Business Line : Pulses coverage lagging behind by 14 lakh hectares

Pulses production may be the biggest casualty of the extended dry spell across Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (AP) right until the third week of this month.

While the south-west monsoon has staged a revival over Peninsular India in the last 3-4 days, it may turn out to be somewhat late. “Arhar (pigeon-pea) planting can take place in Andhra Predesh and Karnataka even in August. But for moong (green gram) and urad (black matpe), the time is over”, the Agriculture Commissioner, Dr N.B. Singh, told Business Line.

Cumulative pulses coverage so far has been lagging behind by about 14 lakh hectares (lh) over last year’s level, with the decline being nearly six lh in moong, 4.8 lh in arhar and 2.4 lh in urad. The sharpest drops have been reported from Maharashtra (9.42 to 6.44 for arhar, 5.97 to 3.36 for moong and 4.95 to 2.28 for urad), followed by Karnataka (4.24 to 1.63 for moong, 3.12 to 1.62 for arhar and 1.60 to 0.72 for urad) and AP (2.75 to 1.26 for arhar and 2.76 to 1.18 for moong).

High acreage in N. India

The above shortfalls have been partially made up by higher acreages in northern and central India, which have had relatively better rainfall activity this season. Arhar area has gone up in Madhya Pradesh (2.75 to 3.25) and Uttar Pradesh (1.62 to 2.99), while that of urad has risen in UP (1.24 to 3.02) and Rajasthan (1.06 to 1.41). Rajasthan has also registered increased coverage under moong (7.10 to 7.92).

Dr Singh felt that the monsoon’s revival — projected to last the next week and perhaps beyond — will particularly help oilseeds.

“Groundnut sowing can be taken up in Karnataka and the Rayalaseema districts of AP till end-July. But it is the crop already sown from the middle of June that will really stand to benefit”, he added.

Echoing a similar view, Mr B.V. Mehta, Executive Director of the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India, held that “the picture is not as gloomy as it was just a week back, when we had virtually given up on the standing crop”.

Groundnut

Progressive groundnut acreage up to now, at 34.88 lh, is below the corresponding last year’s figure of 38.63 lh. While area is down in AP (7.68 to 5.36), Karnataka (4.78 to 2.69) and Maharashtra (2.78 to 1.72), it is up for Gujarat (16.11 to 17.46) and Rajasthan (2.87 to 3.23).

The situation is even better in the case of soyabean, where an additional 7.5 lh has been sown this year and production is poised to hit a fresh high.

Soyabean

“Soyabean has not been a problem this time as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have had good rains. Hopefully things will improve in Maharashtra as well”, Mr Mehta added.

Soyabean area has increased in M.P. (44.13 to 49.99) and Rajasthan (5.76 to 8.16), while dipping in Maharashtra (23.49 to 22.30).

What about cotton, which has witnessed a 9.5 lh area reduction, mainly courtesy Maharashtra (down 3.7 lh), Gujarat (1.4 lh) and AP (one lh)?

Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan have also registered a combined three lh decline, though the reason has not been dry weather, but threat from the mealy bug insect pest and diversion to paddy and maize.

According to Dr K.R. Kranthi of the Nagpur-based Central Institute for Cotton Research, sowing can go on till end-July in Gujarat and the first week of August in AP.

“In Maharashtra, the normal cut-off is July 15 and if you plant after the third week, yields could fall by a quarter or more”, he said.

But that may still not deter farmers from going ahead. “Cotton is, after all, a cash crop and it has also yielded good returns in recent times”, Dr Singh pointed out.

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