Higher MSP on pulses expected to increase planting by 5-10% only

NEW DELHI: The increase in the price that farmers will be paid for pulses may lead to only a 5% to 10% rise in planting this rabi season because soil moisture levels are not good and more than half the cultivation has already been completed, especially in the southern states.

Farmers in north, west and central India, who have yet to plant chana, masur and yellow peas, may benefit the most from the increase in the minimum support price. Pulses, an important source of protein, are planted on 14 million hectares in the rabi season, accounting for 65% of annual production.

“Farmers with irrigation facility in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh can get more area under pulses planting. In south India, pulses planting has already been done in October,” said Narendra Pratap Singh, director at the Indian Institute of Pulses Research at Kanpur.

Singh said if the MSP increase had been announced earlier, the area under chana cultivation in south India would have expanded. “This year, chana planting — largely white chana — will be done on 9-10 million hectares compared to 8 million hectares a year ago as prices are firm. Masur and yellow peas will be planted on 2.5 million hectares and other small crops of rajma, urad and moong on 1.5 million hectares,” said Singh.

Production of pulses for 2014-15 was estimated at 17.2 million tonnes, a drop of 2.05 million tonnes from the previous year, according to the fourth estimate by the agriculture ministry. Deficient monsoon rainfall for two consecutive years has curbed the area under pulses cultivation and hit output, sending prices higher.

“The moisture level in the fields is not much and hence farmers in non-irrigated belts can’t take the benefit of this year’s firm pulses prices,” Singh said. Pulses have been sown on 28.65 lakh hectares this year, compared with 29.73 lakh hectares in 2014-15, the agriculture ministry said on November 6. Officials from the Indian Pulses and Grain Association said that the increase in the MSP would help in incentivising farmers to plant more.

“If some more rains happen in the coming days, then it will help the planting,” said an official. Faced with high prices of pulses, the Centre increased the support price to farmers for masoor and gram (chana) dals by Rs 250 a quintal each to Rs 3,325 a quintal and Rs 3,425 a quintal, respectively, for 2015-16 to boost production in the ongoing rabi season and reduce dependency on imports. In addition, the government will pay a bonus of Rs 75 a quintal each for grams and masoor.