Rabi pulses acreage more than doubles so far

Buoyed by rising retail prices of pulses, farmers have brought more area under lentils and the total area has more than doubled to 9.83 lakh hectare so far during the ongoing rabi season this year. Area sown to wheat, the main rabi crop, has also increased to 20,000 hectares as on today from 15,000 hectares in the year-ago period.

Rabi sowing starts from October while harvesting begins from March. "As per preliminary reports, sowing of rabi crops has started in some parts of the country," the Agriculture Ministry's release said. As per the ministry data, pulses has been sown in 9.83 lakh hectare as on today of this rabi season as against 4.75 lakh hectare in the same season last year. However, the increase in area under pulses would depend on the minimum support price (MSP) that the government would fix for the 2015-16 rabi season as well as procurement by government agencies like FCI, Nafed and SFAC. The Agriculture Ministry is believed to have suggested higher prices this time keeping in view the domestic shortages and sharp increase in pulses prices that have already crossed Rs 200/kg in retail markets.