An Update On India's Rabi Season Progress With Pulse Crops

Key points

• Pulse seeding this rabi season is consistent with last year’s progress (as of Jan. 11), at 14.8 million hectares planted, versus 14 million hectares for the same period last year
• Demand continues to remain very steady for key pulses – split green peas continue to loom around $2/kg
• There were reports of chickpea damage due to excessive cold in late December, but this proved minimal. Overall, chickpea is expected to be a record crop for the current season
• In contrast, green pea and lentils production has taken a hit. Pea production dropped marginally to 337,000 tonnes versus 342,000 tonnes the previous year. The decline in lentil production was sharper: production was 189,000 tonnes in 2011/12, compared to 288,000 tonnes in 2010/11
• Currently the government is implementing the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), an initiative to enhance the production and productivity of pulses in 468 districts and 16 states, but as of yet the overall acreage has remained stagnant
• The Government did not impose any import duty on pulses, as was widely talked about in late 2012. As per the government numbers above, it is evident that over the past five years, there have been consistent efforts to bridge the gap between supply and demand, which involves keeping the import channels well oiled

Seeding Progress

There has not been much year-overyear change for the amount of pulse acreage this rabi season, with 14.8 million hectares planted as of Jan. 11, compared to 14 million hectares last year. With an average yield of 567 lbs/ ac, production will likely remain around 9 million tonnes.

Source: Saskpulse