Despite a setback to sowing of pulses in southern states due to paucity of rainfall, the total output of kharif pulses may not decline sharply this year. The anticipated shortfall in the production of tur is expected to be made up by higher production of other kharif pulses, especially in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
According to the latest information available with the agriculture ministry, the total area under kharif pulses in the current season is about 103.3 lakh hectare, over a lakh hectare more than in last season. The increase is mainly because of higher coverage under pulse crops in Gujarat and Rajasthan due to good pre-monsoon and monsoon season rainfall.
However, the cultivation of pulses, especially tur (arhar), has suffered a major blow in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh where the crop could not be sown in many pockets due to paucity of soil moisture.
Though, it is too early to hazard an estimation of likely output of pulses in the current kharif season, agriculture experts believe that it would be more or less normal, between 4.5 and 5 million tonne. While the production of tur might decline somewhat to around two million tonne against normal 2.5 million tonne, that of other kharif pulses like urad, moong, moth, cowpea, etc, is anticipated to rise adequately to substantially offset this loss.
The total acreage under tur this season is estimated to have dropped by over three lakh hectare from last year
