Pulses acreage rises by 90,000 hectares
30-Sep-2025 03:11 PM
New Delhi. Due to weak market prices and the surge in cheap imports from abroad, Indian farmers showed limited enthusiasm for pulse cultivation this season. As a result, sowing of tur (arhar/pigeon pea), moong (green gram), and moth lagged behind last year, with only urad acreage showing significant improvement. Horse gram acreage also rose slightly. The sowing of Kharif pulses is now complete.
According to official data, the acreage under Kharif pulses increased from 118.95 lakh hectares last year to 119.85 lakh hectares this year. Within this:
Tur (arhar/pigeon pea): declined from 46.39 lakh hectares to 46.31 lakh hectares.
Moong (green gram): dropped from 34.96 lakh hectares to 34.84 lakh hectares.
Horse gram: rose from 56,000 hectares to 67,000 hectares.
Urad (black gram): expanded from 22.87 lakh hectares to 24.29 lakh hectares.
Other pulses: slipped from 4.55 lakh hectares to 4.51 lakh hectares.
Ginger (sonth): showed a slight decline in acreage.
Heavy rainfall and floods in some key producing states have damaged pulse crops. Moong in Rajasthan and urad in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have been particularly affected by natural calamities. Early-sown crops are now ready for harvest in some areas, though reports suggest quality concerns. Thus, the risk to the crop remains.
Meanwhile, the duty-free import of tur, urad, and yellow peas continues, keeping domestic pulse prices under pressure. Strong demands have been made to impose at least a 10% import duty on chickpeas and lentils as well, but it appears the government is unlikely to take a decision on this issue before Diwali.