India Optimistic About Pulse Harvests

VANCOUVER - Sep 25/09 - SNS -- The Indian government is highly optimistic about the volume of pulses which be grown in 2009-10, expecting a general improvement in pulse production levels in the coming rabi season over last year.

During this year's two day National Conference on Agriculture for Rabi Campaign 2009, state agriculture officials said there would another 1.5 million hectares of pulses sown in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh during the rabi season "resulting in additional production" of around 1.0 million metric tons (MT).

Higher pulse area is part of India's effort to boost rabi season foodgrain production. To that end, the country's agriculture department said, "State Governments would be required to take special steps to ensure timely planting, advanced planning for input management, efficient management of canal water, campaign for seed treatment, strengthening farmers' field schools et cetera."

The overall aim is to boost rabi season or winter foodgrain output by at least eight million tons to compensate for this summer's smaller cereal grains crops. A below normal monsoon, especially in northern crop districts, resulted in a sharp drop in the expected size of this year's kharif season crops. Pulses seem to be one of the exceptions, but the first indication of the size of this year's crop is not expected until the middle of October.

During the conference, an effort was made to take stock of the status of kharif production and prospects for rabi. The September rainfall has improved the kharif prospects but it was too early to assess its full impact. This was discussed with State Agricultural Commissioners and Secretaries in the Rabi Conference. Officers from Department of Agriculture and Cooperation are also visiting States to get a feel of ground level situation and validate the estimated losses so that a more realistic estimate is brought out.

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