India Aims To End Pulse Imports
VANCOUVER - Jul 22/11 - SNS -- India's agriculture department is optimistic pulse production will remain above 17 million MT in 2011-12 and soon average 20 million MT per year.
Speaking about the latest production estimates for 2010-11, the country's agriculture minister, P.K. Basu, told reporters, "We can easily produce 20 million MT of pulses by bringing in fallow land under cultivation and through inter-cropping. I dont think we have to import pulses after three to four years."
The fourth crop estimate from India's Agriculture department pegged the 2010-11 pulse harvest at a record 18.09 million metric tons (MT). The 2010-11 pulse harvest estimate includes last year's kharif or monsoon season harvest and this year's winter or rabi season harvest. The latest number is up sharply from the previous 17.29 million MT estimate and well above the 14.59 million MT of pulses harvested in 2009-10.
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