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Govt wants farmers to grow pulses

Pune/Mumbai: Realising that crops like jowar, bajra and maize are not very profitable, the state agricultural department will ask farmers to cultivate pulses like urad, moong, tur and gram. The department will make more seeds for these crops available and urge farmers to change their crop pattern. This is the first time the agricultural commissionerate in Pune is trying to encourage farmers to change crop patterns.
    State agricultural commissioner Prabhkar Deshmukh on Sunday said the state has a good potential for pulses. “More land under jowar, bajra and maize cultivation will be diverted for pulses and we will concentrate on productivity improvement,’’ he added.
    State agriculture department’s deputy commissioner Kashinath Pagire said, “There are several limitations to crops like jowar, bajra and maize. Only some part of jowar is used for food, while the rest is used as fodder. Hence, not much importance is given to increase its productivity. Bajra is eaten by a limited section of people, so its price remains more or less the same. Most of the maize produced in the state is used as poultry fodder. The agriculture department feels that as the state’s population is increasing, there is a great need for pulses. The areas where maize, bajra and jowar are grown can also be used for these pulses during the kharif season.’’
    Pagire said that this year, the agriculture department will give 54,362 quintals of tur seeds as against 46,708 quintals last year, while 31,707 quintals of moong seeds will be made available as against 19,707 last year, and 34,152 quintals of urad seeds will be given to farmers this year visa-vis 23,241 quintals last year. Tur, moong and urad are cultivated during kharif season. The quantity of gram seeds to be given out will be decided later as gram is cultivated in the rabi season.
    In 2009, tur was cultivated on 11.16 lakh hectares, while this year, the agriculture department wants an area of 12 lakh hectares to be covered under tur plantation. Last year, moong and urad were cultivated on 4.13 lakh hectares and 3.65 lakh hectares respectively, while this season it is expected to be 5.60 and 5.10 lakh hectares. Besides, subsidies are also being given under National Food Security Mission and Accelerated Pulse Production Programme.
    A senior professor, who is a faculty at various agricultural universities, said, “Jowar, bajra and maize do not yield much profits and no effort has been made to increase their production and quality. If farmers divert the land to cultivation of pulses, the profits are better. Last year, there was a severe shortage of tur dal and rates had crossed Rs 100 per kilo. If the production is increased, the prices will also come down. Besides, the farmer is benefited.’’
    In the last two years, a handful of farmers have brought more area under soya production realising its profitability. In 2007, an area of 26.64 lakh hectare was under soyabean production and in 2009, it increased to 30.75 lakh hectares. The area under cotton cultivation too has increased. But this was mainly due to subsidies on cotton seed offered to farmers. However, the agricultural department is not making any effort to bring more area under cotton or soya production.
    In 2009, there was extensive damage to crops due to late and erratic monsoon. Later, cyclone Phyan wreaked havoc in Konkan and other areas of the state.
    “Officials from the Indian Meteorological Department met us this year and have predicted 98% monsoon. We expect good crop yield this year,’’ said Pagire. In 2009, the total food grain production was 68.70 lakh tonne, while in 2010 it is estimated to scale beyond 93.79 lakh tonne.