PUNE: The sown area for kharif pulses, oilseeds and cotton in India has witnessed a decline this year primarily because of an adverse monsoon.
The repercussions of this reduced sowing area are expected to reverberate in the form of potential price hikes in near future, experts said.
Recent data from the ministry of agriculture and farmers’ welfare showed that the total sown area for kharif pulses in India stood at 121 lakh hectares, down from 127.57 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. The 6.57 lakh hectare-reduction highlights the challenges faced by Indian farmers this season. While some states managed to increase their sown areas for pulses, others saw substantial decreases.
The bulk of the decrease in sowing area was observed in states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Haryana, Assam, Tripura and Punjab. Experts said the diminished sowing area might lead to lower yields, potentially driving up prices of kharif pulses, oilseeds, and cotton in the market. This could, in turn, impact food prices and add pressure to the already strained household budgets of many Indians.
About 192.20 lakh hectare area coverage under oilseeds has been reported in India as on September 15. This was also down from 194.33 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. Similarly, about 123.22 lakh hectare area coverage under cotton has been reported compared to the corresponding period olast year (127.29 lakh ha).
An official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said, “Lower sown area for these crops is due to the deficit and late monsoon. Recent heavy rain spells in parts of central India also damaged some of the crops. Pigeon peas are long-duration crops. As a result, it is difficult to predict as of now the expected reduction in yield for this crop. In some states productivity of pulses is expected to be high, while in some others like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka it may be less.”
Hanuman Unecha, a grains and pulses wholesaler in Pune, said, “The cost of pulses, particularly tur, has surged by nearly 20% since the commencement of this fiscal. This, combined with a significant reduction in the sown area for kharif crops, is already generating anticipations of additional price increases in the upcoming months. In addition, the recent heavy rain in MP has also affected the sown crop. Hence, we expect prices to rise further because of less sown area under the crop this kharif season.”
Bhagwan Hiravat , retailer, Rajlamxi trading, Katraj said, “Nearly 3-4 months ago, tur was Rs 100 per kg in wholesale market, which has now risen to Rs 168 per kg. Chana dal was Rs 60 per kg two months ago, but now it is Rs 78 per kg. Among other factors, the sub-par monsoon affected sowing, causing hoarding by millers. This has caused a surge in the price of pulses.”
The repercussions of this reduced sowing area are expected to reverberate in the form of potential price hikes in near future, experts said.
Recent data from the ministry of agriculture and farmers’ welfare showed that the total sown area for kharif pulses in India stood at 121 lakh hectares, down from 127.57 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. The 6.57 lakh hectare-reduction highlights the challenges faced by Indian farmers this season. While some states managed to increase their sown areas for pulses, others saw substantial decreases.
The bulk of the decrease in sowing area was observed in states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Haryana, Assam, Tripura and Punjab. Experts said the diminished sowing area might lead to lower yields, potentially driving up prices of kharif pulses, oilseeds, and cotton in the market. This could, in turn, impact food prices and add pressure to the already strained household budgets of many Indians.
About 192.20 lakh hectare area coverage under oilseeds has been reported in India as on September 15. This was also down from 194.33 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. Similarly, about 123.22 lakh hectare area coverage under cotton has been reported compared to the corresponding period olast year (127.29 lakh ha).
An official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said, “Lower sown area for these crops is due to the deficit and late monsoon. Recent heavy rain spells in parts of central India also damaged some of the crops. Pigeon peas are long-duration crops. As a result, it is difficult to predict as of now the expected reduction in yield for this crop. In some states productivity of pulses is expected to be high, while in some others like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka it may be less.”
Hanuman Unecha, a grains and pulses wholesaler in Pune, said, “The cost of pulses, particularly tur, has surged by nearly 20% since the commencement of this fiscal. This, combined with a significant reduction in the sown area for kharif crops, is already generating anticipations of additional price increases in the upcoming months. In addition, the recent heavy rain in MP has also affected the sown crop. Hence, we expect prices to rise further because of less sown area under the crop this kharif season.”
Bhagwan Hiravat , retailer, Rajlamxi trading, Katraj said, “Nearly 3-4 months ago, tur was Rs 100 per kg in wholesale market, which has now risen to Rs 168 per kg. Chana dal was Rs 60 per kg two months ago, but now it is Rs 78 per kg. Among other factors, the sub-par monsoon affected sowing, causing hoarding by millers. This has caused a surge in the price of pulses.”
