Unearthing the Ripple Effect: Exploring the 2023 Decline in Pulse Sowing and its Impact on Prices - Potu Ujwala

The dynamics of pulse farming have changed recently, with substantial ramifications for both domestic consumption and global trade. The decrease in the sowing area devoted to the cultivation of pulses has emerged as a major worry for the year 2023. This decrease has been linked to a variety of variables, including climate abnormalities and evolving farming techniques.

 

Effect of Uneven/Heavy rainfalls on sowing percentage of pulses 2023

The amount of pulses sown has been significantly impacted by the uneven and heavy rainfalls that have occurred this year throughout India. Karnataka's sowing percentage has dropped to 16.99%, significantly reducing the state's overall yield of pulses. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra's sowing areas have been reduced to 10.58% and 14.58%, respectively, which has had a severe impact on the output of all pulses. Rajasthan's sowing area has climbed by 4.40%, which is encouraging, but Uttar Pradesh's sowing area has decreased by 3.70%.

The sowing area of Arhar has fallen by 5.35% over all India, while that of Urad and Moong has decreased by 15.56% and 7.82%, respectively. This has a substantial impact on the entire output rate.

State-Wise Progress of Area Coverage Under Kharif Total Pulses as on 11-Aug-2023

 

S. No	State	Area Covered		Difference in Area coverage
		(Lakh Ha)		with Current Week
		2023	2022	2022	2021
1	Andhra Pradesh	1.014	1.368	-0.354	-1.596
2	Arunachal Pradesh	0.069	0.066	0.002	-
3	Assam	0.043	0.065	-0.022	-0.003
4	Bihar	0.742	0.937	-0.195	-0.218
5	Chhattisgarh	1.785	2.209	-0.423	-0.51
6	Gujarat	3.391	3.749	-0.358	-1.37
7	Haryana	0.438	0.568	-0.13	-0.502
8	Jammu & Kashmir.	0.206	0.116	0.09	0.07
9	Jharkhand	2.552	2.529	0.023	-1.1
10	Karnataka	15.829	19.079	-3.249	-3.84
11	Madhya Pradesh	19.43	21.73	-2.3	-1.5
12	Maharashtra	15.689	18.367	-2.678	-5.702
13	Meghalaya	0.012	0.012	0	0
14	Mizoram	0.02	0.019	0.001	-
15	Nagaland	0.186	0.185	0.002	0.027
16	Odisha	2.773	3.58	-0.806	-1.165
17	Punjab	0.017	0.026	-0.009	-0.003
18	Rajasthan	35.304	33.818	1.487	5.283
19	Tamilnadu	0.781	0.744	0.037	-0.028
20	Telangana.	2.118	2.493	-0.375	-2.062
21	Tripura	0.051	0.105	-0.054	-0.04
22	Uttar Pradesh	10.057	10.444	-0.388	0.192
23	Uttarakhand	0.43	0.45	-0.02	-0.19
24	West Bengal	0.133	0.111	0.022	0.017
	Others	-	-	-	-
	Total	113.071	122.768	-9.697	-14.15

Data source: https://aps.dac.gov.in/Home.aspx

 

 Market scenario of pulses

 

     Mung

·         Because the sowing of Mung was improper due to insufficient rains, traders anticipate an increase in the price of mung this year.

·         On August 16, Mung mill quality and mung chamki were sold in the Latur market for Rs. 6250–7200/q and Rs. 7400–8250/q respectively.

·         On August 17, mung has reached Rs. 7600-7850/q with 150 bags of arrival at Khirkiya.

·         Due to strong demand the following week, the price is anticipated to rise to Rs. 8000–9000/q.

·         Rajasthan has witnessed good sowing of mung, therefore good yields are anticipated if light rainfalls occur.

·          There is also speculation that the government might import pulses to satisfy domestic demand.

       

 

 

   Arhar

• ·       Prices for Arhar have been rising because of strong demand.
• ·   Pink Arhar’s price rose to Rs. 11,000/q by August 16 as a result of aggressive miller purchasing.
• ·      A quota of 200,000 MT for the export of Arhar has been granted by Mozambique, and it is expected that a large part will come to India.
• ·     On August 17, Arhar was sold at Rs. 11400/q in the Latur market.

 

Urad

•  There is a strong demand in Urad, thus a price increase is expected but may not last long.
• This year the sowing area of Urad has increased in Rajasthan by 0.57% over last year, so the production might be a little higher.
• In Uttar Pradesh, Urad was sold at Rs. 8860/q on August 17.
• New Urad will begin to arrive in the market starting next month.
• Chennai Port over the past 10 days has received 11,075 MT of Urad from Myanmar.

 

Chana 

·     Due to strong miller demand, the price of mill quality Gram has increased by Rs. 100/q to Rs. 5200-5700/q and the price of Annagiri Chana has climbed by Rs. 200/q to Rs.5000-6200/q in the Solapur market.

·      The market keeps growing as a result of strong demand for Gram flour and Chana dal.

·    By August 16^th, Chana costed 5699/q in Maharashtra, 5607/q in Gujarat, 5519/q in Karnataka, and 5673/q in Madhya Pradesh.

·      On August 17, Chana was sold at maximum price of Rs. 6000/q in Latur market.

 

Summary:

• The reduction in sowing area for pulses has led to a shortage in supply, creating an imbalance between demand and availability, thereby causing prices to rise.
• Unpredictable weather patterns, including unseasonal and heavy rains have negatively impacted pulses cultivation, which may lower yields and further make the supply crisis worse.
• Farmers shifting to other crops due to perceived profitability has also been one of the reasons for downfall of pulses sowing area.
•  A decline in domestic production has compelled the country to increase the import of pulses, further driving up the global prices.
• The prices of pulses may reach up to 9000-12000 Rs./q respectively in upcoming months, which is a hike of 30-35% of pulses prices compared to last year.