Pulses farmers income fell 16% in 2016-17: Crisil study

Record output cited for decline, study urges allowing exports, calls for stronger futures market

The profit margin of pulses farmers fell 16 per cent on average in 2016-17 due to record production, says Crisil Research in its latest report titled Pulses & Rhythms: Analysing volatility and cyclicality and the cobweb phenomenon in prices.

The report says that if gram is excluded, margins have fallen by 30 per cent. While the selling price of pulses fell, the cost of cultivation continued to rise. The Crisil report says, "Cost of cultivation increased 3.7 per cent year-on-year in agriculture year (July to June) 2016-17, compared with 2.8 per cent in the previous year and hence increase in