India’s masur (lentil) production is estimated to touch an all-time excessive of 1.6 million tonnes within the 2023-24 rabi season on increased acreage, in accordance to Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh. The production of Masur stood at 1.55 million tonnes within the 2022-23 rabi season, in accordance to the official information.
India imports sure pulses, together with masur and tur, to meet home shortages, regardless of being the world’s largest producer and client of pulses.
“This year, masur production is going to be at an all-time high. Our masur production will be the highest in the world. The acreage has increased. The dynamic is changing,” Singh mentioned at an occasion organised by the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC) on Friday.
In the continued rabi season, extra space has been introduced below the masur crop.
The whole masur acreage has elevated to 1.94 million hectare as of January 12 within the ongoing rabi season, compared to 1.83 million hectare within the year-ago interval, in accordance to the agriculture ministry information.
On the sidelines of the occasion, the Secretary mentioned masur production is estimated at 1.6 million tonnes for the present rabi season.
He additionally talked about that India produces on a median 26-27 million tonnes of pulses yearly.
In chana and moong, the nation is self-sufficient however in different pulses like tur and masur, it nonetheless imports to meet the shortages.
“While we pitch for self-reliance in pulses, we cannot ignore that for some time to come, we probably need to keep (pulses) imports running,” he mentioned.
While the federal government is incentivising farmers to develop extra pulses, one wants to be mindful the restricted space below cultivation, he added.
Sharing how tough it’s to steadiness the farmers’ and shoppers’ pursuits, the Secretary mentioned, “I think we are doing ok in the last couple of years. Despite weather disturbances, we have managed to keep the prices of pulses reasonably under control”.
(With PTI inputs)
