India’s reliance on imported pulses could increase this year, due to a decline of around 10 per cent in tur production in the current kharif harvesting season due to pest and worm attacks.
Total imports of pulses of all varieties stand at between 2.5 and 3.5 million tonnes (mt), constituting around 15 per cent of overall annual demand. Assocham estimates India’s pulses demand at 21 mt in 2012-13, which might go up to 21.42 mt in 2013-14 and 21.91 mt in 2014-15. Of this, total domestic production is 18 mt, of which tur, a premium variety, constitutes 15 per cent. Tur, a kharif grown pulse, is sown with the onset of monsoons in June, to be harvested in October. This year the onset of monsoon was delayed by two months, extending the season proportionately. The crop is now set for harvesting towards the end of November.
“Ahead of this harvesting season, however, the crop has been damaged due to pest attacks in major growing areas. Although the assessment of the actual loss is yet to be done, not less than 10 per cent must have been damaged. A consequent hit on production cannot be ruled out,” said K C Bharatiya, ex-president of the Pulses Exporters’ Association.
‘Pod borer’, a common pest which attacks all pulses including tur, urad and gram, caused damage in major producing regions, including Gujarat and Maharasthra, during the flowering stage of tur. Germinated with the vagaries of nature and climatic conditions, ‘pod borer’ typically affects 30-50 per cent of the crop resulting in a decline in acreage under pulses.
Pradeep Jindal, director of Jindal Overseas Corporation, a Mumbai-based pulses trader, said, “The deficit from local production can safely be bridged through imports as has been done in the past. Hence, the pest attack on tur crop is not a cause of worry as of now.”
According to ministry of agriculture data, 9.98 million hectares (ha) was planted under kharif pulses as on September 21 this year compared to 10.83 million ha during the same period last year. Improved rains towards the end of the monsoon season have raised the prospects of sowing. However, planting beyond this period was a little late for obtaining any remunerative output.
At 3.62 million ha, the area under tur acreage reported a marginal decline of 1.6 per cent this year from 3.75 million ha last year, despite delay in rainfall.
According to the first advance estimates for the 2012-13 season, output of kharif pulses is estimated lower by 14.6 per cent at 5.26 mt compared with 6.16 mt last year. The fourth advance estimates for 2011-12 season, however, puts output of pulses at 17.21 mt in 2011-12 compared with 18.24 mt in 2010-11. While the output of chana in 2011-12 is estimated at 7.58 mt, tur is estimated at 2.65 mt, urad at 1.83 mt and moong at 1.71 mt.
“Tur prices have been down by Rs 200 a quintal in the last two weeks due to excessive availability of imported varieties. The trend is likely to continue in the near future as well, being a favourable climatic condition for rabi sowing,” Himat Chandra, partner at Trimurthi International, a Vashi–based pulses dealer, said.
Amidst weak festive demand, tur was quoted on Tuesday at Rs 3,800 a quintal in Vashi’s wholesale market, while urad was hovering at around Rs 3,200 a quintal. Now, trade Rs are eyeing the sowing of rabi crops - chana and masoor.
