Black gram ( Vigna Mungo L .), is an important pulse crop containing about 26 per cent protein and is an important part of Indian diet. The crop is resistant to adverse climatic conditions and is also a good source of fodder.

Black gram crop is akin to a mini-fertiliser factory as it restores soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen and thus producing nitrogen equivalent of around 22 kg/hectare.

Black gram cultivation is distributed mainly in tropical to sub-tropical countries. The traditional cultivation of black gram is confined to the South-Asia and adjacent regions.

The production of black gram globally is around 8.5 million tonnes (mt), from the major producing countries like India, Myanmar and Thailand.

India contributes nearly 70 per cent of world's production followed by Myanmar and Thailand. The major black gram exporting countries are Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Myanmar, with an annual production of 0.5 mt , exports more than 60 per cent of its output.

The major consuming-cum-importing countries of black gram are India, China, Pakistan, Japan and Thailand. These countries import mainly from countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore and Australia.

Production & consumption

Black gram, also known as urad bean, mash and black matpe is a short-duration pulse crop which is grown in many parts of India. India is the largest producer as well as consumer of black gram.

Black gram accounts for about 10 per cent of India's total pulse production. It is cultivated in India in about 3.24 million hectare with average productivity of at 469 kg/hectare.

The production of the black gram was 1.82 mt in 2010-11, with around 78 per cent production (1.4 mt) from kharif season and 0.42 mt from rabi season. The average production in India over the last decade was 1.4 mt.

The major Black gram producing States in India are Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

Bihar has the highest productivity with 800 kg/hectare followed by Uttarakhand (786 kg/ha) and West Bengal (714 kg/hectare).

Andhra Pradesh is the largest producing State contributing for about 19 per cent of total country's output, followed by Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, with 20 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.

The major trade centres for black gram in India are Mumbai, Jalgaon, Delhi, Guntur, Chennai, Akola, Gulbarga and Latur.

Prices in India are governed by domestic production and influenced by prices in Myanmar.

India being the large consumer of pulses is also largest pulses processor in the world. India imported 0.71 mt black gram in 2009-10, showing a rise of 60 per cent over the previous year.

India imports nearly 85 per cent of black gram requirements from Myanmar followed by Singapore and Thailand.

Increasing output

Increasing pulses production has been central to agricultural policy. The Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, is the premier organisation under the aegis of ICAR, for pulses research and capacity building.

The Government has provided Rs 300 crore in the present financial budget to increase the production of pulses and oilseeds, for organising 60,000 pulses and oilseed villages in rain-fed areas.

As India imports significant quantity of black gram, government regulates its flow by changing trade policy; presently black gram import does not attract any import duty.

The Government agencies such as MMTC, STC, PEC and Nafed have started importing pulses from 2007, as trade was dominated by private players.

To give impetus to production the minimum support price (MSP) was increased to Rs 3,300/quintal from Rs 2,900/quintal in the year 2011-12, an increase of 13 per cent over the last year.

Pulses, being a vital source of protein, have an important role in maintaining nutritional standards in India, which is predominately a vegetarian country.

During the last decade, pulses production in India was around 13-15 mt as compared to the domestic demand of 18-19 mt.

Although, in the recent years, the production of black gram has increased due to availability of high yielding varieties and increase in MSP, more favourable policies are needed to meet the increasing domestic demand.

India needs to devise long-term strategy to increase black gram production by increasing acreage, research initiatives for new varieties of seeds and swift dissemination of extension services.

Private participation through contract/corporate farming needs to be promoted domestically as well as in neighbouring places i.e. Myanmar and Africa to help India achieve self-sufficiency in pulses.

Source: YES Bank

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