India Expects 1.73 MMT Pulse Shortfall

VANCOUVER - Sep 27/08 - SNS -- This summer's pulse harvest in India is expected to be down 1.73 million metric tons (MT) from last year because of a sharp decline in the amount of land which could be sown to pulses during the monsoon season.

While overall rainfall levels ended up close to normal, some of the key kharif season pulse producing regions experienced a slow onset to the monsoon, causing farmers to delay planting this year's crop, ultimately resulting in a drop in total seeded area.

Interestingly, some of the key rabi or winter season pulse producing states received above normal monsoon rainfall levels, which has helped recharge subsoil moisture in those regions, rising hopes that rabi season area and yields will be higher than last season.

Seeding of this year's summer or kharif season crops is now complete. Total land in pulses stands at 10.34 million hectares, down 15.9% from the 12.3 million sown by this time last year.

India's agriculture department says land in rice now stands at 37.97 million hectares, up 3.4% from the 36.73 million sown by this time last year. Area in oilseeds is also higher, rising 2.8% from 17.6 to 18.09 million hectares. On the other hand, land in coarse grains is down 6.4% at 19.78 million hectares.

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