Production will be affected due to less sowing and uneven distribution of rainfall
Analysts state that there is possibility of a 20% reduction in the sowing of pulses in the current year’s Kharif season.
The government has set a production target of 10,55 million tonnes for the Kharif 2022-23 season. The general area of Kharif pulses is 14 million hectares. Due to delayed sowing due to progress of monsoon in June, the area sown till August 5 is 11,640 million hectare, which is less than last year’s 11,94 million hectare.
Although the actual estimate will come by the end of August.
Analysts say that it is not clear whether the total kharif sown area will reach the normal 14 million hectares or will be less. Along with this, there is a possibility of decrease in yield this year.
Sowing of Arhar, the main Kharif crop in the country, has declined by 10%. Analysts say that even if the total sown area may approach the normal sown area, there is every possibility of a 20% reduction in yield due to the decrease in average yield and the effect of unfavorable environment.
This could pose upside risks to the price of pulses, especially when inflation is troubling the chaos. Although it is a matter of relief that the import of Pigeon pea and Vigna mungo is ‘free’ till March 2023. This may give partial relief to the prices due to imports from Africa for the next 2 to 3 months and from Myanmar in the first quarter of the coming year. Last year also, the government was forced to reduce the production of Kharif pulses from 9,4 million tonnes in the first estimate to 8,6 million tonnes in the second estimate. This year also, the government has to keep advance estimates lower than the target, such a situation may arise.