The Government has created a contingency plan to boost pulses output in the ensuing Rabi 2011-12 season. It is targeting an additional output of 2.78 million tones of pulses such as pigeon pea, gram, pea and lentil through area expansion and productivity enhancement.

The contingency plan will help the Government offset losses in Kharif 2011. The shortall in pulses output in Kharif 2011 is expected to be around 0.70 million tonnes according to the first advanced estimates. The production of pulses is projected to be at 6.43 million tonnes in Kharif 2011 as against 7.12 million tonnes last year. The projected shortfall is on account of lower area coverage of around 10.89 lakh hectares in states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh due to less rainfall in late June and early July.

In Rabi 2011-12, the Government had initially targeted pulses output of 10.27 million tonnes, while the output last year was 10.97 million tonnes. As part of the contingency plan, the Government has made an additional allocation of Rs 80 crore under the National Food Security Mission-Pulses programme to 12 states including Uttar Pradesh and Chattisgarh. States such as Gujarat and Tamil Nadu will meet the expenses of additional area expansion from their normal allocation under NFSM-Pulses, a statement from Agriculture Ministry said.

The Government is targeting to bring upto 4 lakh hectares under summer moong and urad in irrigated areas of Punjab, Haryana and Western UP. It also plans to promote gram and lentil in rice fallows in eastern India and intercropping with sugarcane in UP.

Pulses production has increased in the past few years from 14.20 million tonnes in 2006-07 to 14.66 million tonnes during 2009-10. Likewise the productivity of pulses has also increased from 612 kg per ha during 2006-07 to 630 kg per ha during 2009-10. As per Fourth Advance Estimates of crop production, the output of pulses has increased from 14.66 million tones in 2009-10 to 18.09 million tones during 2010-11. Productivity of pulses has also increased from 630 kg per ha during 2009-10 to 689 kg/ha during 2010-11.

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