Rebound in Indian Pulse Output Forecast

VANCOUVER - Sep 15/07 - SNS -- The Indian government is looking for pulse production to rebound from a disappointing 14.1 million metric tons (MT) in 2006-07 to a forecast 15.4 million MT during the 2007-08 marketing year.

The first step in getting pulse production to advance is already in play, with growers having expanded the size of the kharif or summer seeded area from 11.035 million hectares by this time last year to an estimated 12.125 million hectares as of September 14. India's Agriculture Ministry said this reflects a general increase in kharif crop seedings when compared to last year.

Within the pulse sector, plantings of arhar total 3.81 million hectares, up from 3.571 million last year and the recent average of 3.46 million hectares. Moong area totals 3.133 million hectares, up from 2.437 million last year and the recent average of 2.616 million hectares. Urad area totals 2.709 million hectares, versus 2.417 million last year and the recent average of 2.531 million hectares.

For other crops, the Agriculture Ministry reports rice area has risen from 35.516 million to 35.573 million hectares. Coarse grain plantings total 21.333 million hectares, up from 20.253 million last year. Within the sector, bajra area has jumped from 7.823 to 8.217 million hectares; corn from 7.174 to 7.617 million; while jowar is down from 3.498 million hectares at 3.392 million so far this year.

Cotton seedlings have risen from 8.689 million to 9.068 million hectares, including 5.332 million hectares of Bt Cotton. Sugarcane area has risen from 4.832 to 5.104 million hectares; jute from 818,000 to 829,000 hectares; mesta slipped from 153,000 to 148,000 hectares.

Oilseed plantings now total 17.301 million hectares, up from 16.172 million at this time last year. Soybean area is up from 8.09 million hectares at 8.74 million; while groundnut advanced from 4.72 to 5.32 million.

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