Government procurement in chickpeas to pick up speed in April: Significant growth in mug and urad plantings

- Dissatisfaction among the country's pulse-growing peasantry as government policy on pulse imports eases

The situation in the agricultural sector in the country has been changing rapidly recently. At a time when we have become self-sufficient in grain production in the country and have reached the stage of exporting wheat and rice, in an environment where we still have to rely on imports for pulses and oilseeds, the government has initiated efforts to increase production and reduce dependence on imports of various pulses and oilseeds. Is. Meanwhile, the demand for bulk users in the markets has seen a resurgence as corona infestation has subsided and the reopening process has gained momentum, market sources said. Inquiries have now resumed that hotels, restaurants, public ceremonies were closed due to lockdowns in the Corona era and the purchases of such bulk consumers in the market slowed down. Meanwhile, according to the latest data, the area under various pulses in summer cultivation in the country has increased from 5 lakh to 30 thousand hectares this year as compared to about 3 lakh 8 to 40 thousand hectares in the previous season. Thus the area under pulses has increased by 20 to 5 per cent. In particular, the area under mug and urad has increased from 3 lakh 40 to 5 thousand hectares and this year it has increased to 2 lakh 5 to 60 thousand hectares while the area under sorghum cultivation has increased by 1 lakh 2 to 30 thousand hectares. Experts said that this year it has happened in 3 lakh 40 to 5 thousand hectares.

Meanwhile, according to chickpea market sources, the government has started buying chickpeas from Madhya Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh, the government has started procurement of chickpeas at minimum sport price (support price). The government has procured about 5,000 tonnes of chickpeas in a short span of time after such procurement started recently, market sources said. Earlier, the government had started procurement of chickpeas at support prices from various chickpea producing states of the country and meanwhile the government had procured around two lakh tonnes of chickpeas nationwide at minimum sport prices and now the government has started a similar operation in Madhya Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh, there are rumors that government procurement has started in chickpeas from March 4. The support price of chickpeas has been fixed by the government at Rs 50 this year. Compared to these prices, government procurement has gained momentum as the prices of chickpeas have come down in the pulses markets of various chickpea producing states. According to sources in the government agency NAFED, the target for procurement in Madhya Pradesh at the end of May this year has been set at around 8.5 to 9 lakh tonnes. Market analysts are predicting that government procurement in chickpeas will pick up speed from April. Earlier, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana v. About 2.5 lakh tonnes of chickpeas have been procured by the government in the states. The possibility of such government procurement from Rajasthan starting from early April is being discussed in the market.

Meanwhile, according to reports from Delhi, the government has relaxed its pulses import policy. Instructions have been received that the government has decided to continue the free import of Tuvar and Adad in the country till March 31, 206. The decision by the Indian government has been welcomed by Myanmar traders and exporters. However, farmers in the country, which grows pulses, have expressed displeasure over the government's decision. On the one hand, the government is trying to increase the production of pulses in the country, while on the other hand, it is adopting a lenient policy to increase the import of pulses in the country. The country imported about 3 to 4 lakh tonnes of pulses in the year 2020-21. At a time when demand for pulses and pulses is increasing in the country, some sections of the market are showing the view that it is necessary to increase imports. Africa's new pulses are expected to hit world markets in August. There is hope for a good new crop.