That pulses are not prioritised speaks of perverse policies that encourage crops requiring more water and chemical fertilisers

Source: The post is based on the article “That pulses are not prioritised speaks of perverse policies that encourage crops requiring more water and chemical fertilisers” published in the Indian Express on 4^th August 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Major crop-cropping patterns in various parts of the country.

Relevance: About the reducing pulse cultivation in India.

News: Pulses are referred to as “orphan crops”. India is facing reducing pulse cultivation.

What is the reason for reducing pulse cultivation?

Pulses cultivation has reduced because

1) They are mostly grown in marginal lands prone to moisture stress,

2) Farmers switch to more high-yielding crops when they have access to irrigation. For instance, the surplus rainfall in much of the South Peninsula, Central and Northwest India led to falling in kharif pulses crops arhar (pigeon- by 13.5%). But rising for moong (green gram) and urad (black gram). This is because these are of shorter duration (60-90 days), unlike arhar which takes 160-180 days.

3) Farmers, especially in the two major pulses-growing states of Maharashtra and Karnataka, have basically diverted arhar area to soyabean and cotton.

Soyabean is trading roughly 50% above its minimum support price (MSP). Also, its yields are more or less the same as arhar with hardly 90-100 days’ maturity time. Bountiful rains have given an added boost to cotton.

4) The lack of price certainty and a better than normal monsoon have resulted in pulses acreage going up mainly in Rajasthan and MP. Even there, farmers have opted for moong, urad and other short-duration pulses. As this can be harvested early to enable planting of their main rabi winter-spring crop of wheat or mustard.

What are the benefits of Pulses?

a) Pulses are a valuable protein source for many Indians whose diets are vegetarian and cereal-based, b) Pulses harbour bacteria that naturally “fix” atmospheric nitrogen and their extensive root systems keep the soil porous and well-aerated.

What should be done to improve pulses cultivation?

Pulses should become a commercial crop rather than a crop of last resort. This requires 1) Assured MSP, 2) A stable import policy, 3) Breeding of varieties that are of shorter duration and amenable to mechanical harvesting, 4) Policies that encourage farmers to grow crops requiring less water and chemical fertilisers.