Good monsoon showers have encouraged farmers to improve the sowing process of pulses during the ongoing kharif season, which is likely to improve production this year  Unlike 2009, favourable climatic conditions this year have facilitated crop production at the home turf. With the onset of monsoon this year, farmers in the country are encouraged to start the sowing process. In a recent poll conducted by FoodProcessing360, 100% of the respondents are confident about an increase in the production of pulses in the ongoing kharif season, owing to improvement in the sowing process.Being one of the cheapest sources of protein, demand for pulses has always been high in India, which forms part of domestic consumers’ staple diet. Therefore, with increase in pulses acreage this year, output is also expected to be high, thereby ensuring easy availability of pulses such as moong, pigeon peas, black and green gram.
In an exclusive interview with a FoodProcessing360 correspondent, Dr KB Saxena, principal scientist of International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, says, “Farmers have been encouraged to increase the sowing process due to escalating prices of pulses. Moreover, pulses require low amount of inputs such as fertilisers, insecticides and water, which makes production cost of pulses lower than other crops like wheat.” He also added that ICRISAT has introduced ICPH 2671, which is the first hybrid variety of arhar dal that will help in increasing production of pulses in the country.
Notable initiatives
According to Dr N Nadarajan, director of Indian Institute of Pulses Research inKanpur, “Although monsoon this year was delayed by 10 days, there has been good rainfall till now, which is expected to bolster the sowing process of pulses in all parts of the country.” Dr Nadarajan added that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, along with the Indian Institute of Pulses Research and scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, has undertaken the initiative to educate farmers in 11 major pulse growing states about the usage of latest technology to increase pulses production this year.
Therefore, pulses output is likely to be promising this year on the back of aforementioned initiatives as well as increased sowing of the commodity during the kharif season.
Sabrina Mitchell |
