International year of pulses: Punit Kumar Agarwal

Scenario of Pulse Production in India

Punit Kumar Agarwal (Assistant Professor)

Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Ranchi

Pulses in India used as a food for human being, as a green fodder for animals and many other forms but according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations the term “pulses” is limited to crops harvested solely for dry grain, thereby excluding crops harvested green for food, which are classified as vegetable crops, as well as those crops used mainly for oil extraction and leguminous crops that are used exclusively for sowing purposes. The year 2016 will be celebrated as “International year of Pulses” across the world declared by United Nation. The theme is “Nutritious seed for a sustainable future” and its aims to bring awareness in common people regarding nutritional value of pulses in human diet. It will create a common platform regarding major pulses on which different stakeholder of pulses will share information and different resources through which common people would be benefitted. It is essential part of sustainable food production. The idea behind to declare International year of pulse is to create a unique opportunity to encourage connections throughout the food chain that would better utilize pulse-based proteins, further global production of pulses, better utilize crop rotations and address the challenges in the trade of pulses (FAO). In India number of pulse crops are grown among these the major being Chickpea, Pigeonpea, Uradbean, Moongbean, Lentil and Field pea.

Origin: According to available record of history the origin place of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is in South-west Asia or Afghanistan, Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) in Africa, Uradbean (Vigna mungo) in India, Moongbean (Vigna radiata) in India and Central Asia and Lentil (Lens esculanta) in Turkey.

Importance: In India most of the vegetarian people depends on cereals and pulses for their staple food. Pulses in India are addicted with the common name Dal, which is a main source of protein than any other plant. Pulses occupied an important role in human diet due to its nutritional value and consider poor man’s meat. The protein which is found in pulse become low in sulfur containing amino acids but rich in lysine in which many cereals are deficient. When pulse protein added with cereals protein, provide nutritive value equal to animal proteins. Pulses belong to leguminous family which has a property of nitrogen-fixation. Due to this property pulses are beneficial for environment and soil health. Its green plant used as manure which adds nutrient in soil through which soil fertility increase manifold like moong.

Nutritional composition of Pulse grain (per 100 gm)

Pulses	Energy (k Cal)	Protein (gm)	Fat (gm)	Carbohydrate (gm)	Total dietary fiber (%)
Chickpea	368	21.0	5.7	61.0	22.7
Pigeonpea	342	21.7	1.4	62.0	15.5
Uradbean	347	24.0	1.6	63.4	16.2
Mungbean	345	25.0	1.1	62.6	16.3
Lentil	346	27.2	1.0	60.0	11.5

Source-Pulses for human health and nutrition, Indian Institute of Pulses Research

Chickpea: In India chickpea consumed in different forms such as chana, chhole, flour as a basan, green leaves as a sag or vegetables, straw as a fodder for animals. 100 gm of chickpea grain contains energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate and total dietary fiber 368 k Cal, 21.0 gm, 5.7 gm, 61.0 gm and 22.7 per cent respectively. Its leaf has citric and malic acid which has positive impact on blood purifier and stomach ailments patients.

Pigeonpea: It’s known with the name of Tur and Arhar and major source of protein among different pulses. Seeds are rich source of iodine and iron. Pigeonpea woody parts used as fuel in most of the parts of rural India. Its grain contains 342 kcal energy, 21.7 gm protein, 1.4 gm fat, 62.0 gm carbohydrate and 15.5 per cent total dietary fiber per hundred gram.

Moongbean: It is used as a Dal, second important source of protein after lentil, due to its easy digestible capacity generally referred to stomach patient. In some part it is used in Halwa making due to nutritional property. In hundred gram grains it contains 345 kcal energy, 25.0 gm protein, 1.1 gm fat, 62.6 gm carbohydrate and 16.3 per cent total dietary fiber. It is also used as a feed for livestock.

Uradbean: It is generally used in the form of Dal. In southern part of India it is used in vada, idli, dosa making and in northern part in halwa and imarti making with the combination of other food grains. It is second important source of energy after chickpea. In hundred gram grains it contains 347 kcal energy, 24.0 gm protein, 1.6 gm fat, 63.4 gm carbohydrate and 16.2 per cent total dietary fiber. It is also used as a feed for livestock.

Lentil: It is consumed in the form of massur dal.  Leaves without moisture, stems, empty pods and broken pods are used as valuable livestock feed. This is only the crop among the pulses, provides highest amount of protein and natural nitrogen fixation in the range of 60-147 kg /hectare. Lentil grain contains per 100gm energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate and total dietary fiber 346 k Cal, 27.2 gm, 1.0 gm, 60.0 gm and 11.5 per cent respectively.

Major growing States: According to available data of Ministry of Agriculture (2013-14) highest pulse producing (total pulses) states are Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In case of chickpea Madhya Pradesh, Pigeonpea Maharashtra, Moongbean Rajasthan, Uradbean Tamil Nadu and Lentil Uttar Pradesh are highest pulse producing states.

Chickpea	Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh
Pigeonpea	Maharashtra, Karnatka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh
Moongbean	Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
Uradbean	Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh
Lentil	Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal

Area, Production and Yield of major Pulses in India (2013-14)

In India highest area under pulses production is covered by Chickpea followed by Pigeonpea, Moongbean, Uradbean and Lentil with 9.93, 3.90, 3.38, 3.06, 1.42 million hectare respectively. Chickpea has the highest production 9.53 million tonnes and lowest production observed in lentil i.e. 1.13 million tonnes. Chickpea also has highest rank in productivity followed by Pigeonpea, Lentil, Uradbean and Moongbean correspondingly with 960, 813, 797, 555, 474 kg per hectare.

Source Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES)

Production of major Pulses (During Last 5 years)

Chickpea production was highest among all other pulses produced in the country. After chickpea pigeonpea, uradbean and moongbean play a major role in pulse production.

     Source Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES)

Except 2012-13 and 2014-15 the production of moongbean and uradbean was almost same and stagnant.

Percentage share in total pulses production (2014-15)

Source Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES)

Chickpea has a lion share in total pulse production i.e. 42 per cent followed by pigeonpea, uradbean and moongbean 16, 11 and 9 per cent respectively.

International market of major pulses (2014-15)

India export largest percentage of chickpea to Pakistan (33.06%) followed by Algeria (14.42%) and Sri Lanka (10.23%) while major import sources are Australia, Russia and Tanzania. In case of pigeonpea USA, Nepal and Canada are the major export destination for India and Myanmar and Tanzania are major import sources. In case of lentil Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka covered more than 75 per cent share in total export while Canada and USA are our major import sources from where we import more than 90 per cent of total lentil. (Source: Department of Commerce)

Minimum Support Price (MSP) of major Pulses

Highest percentage change in MSP of lentil i.e. 10.57 per cent from 3075 to 3400 and lowest percentage change in moong i.e. 5.43 per cent from 4600 to 4850 in 2015-16. Minimum Support Price of Tur and Urad has increased in same proportion i.e. 6.32 per cent from 2014-15 to 2015-16.

	Tur	% change	Gram	% change	Moong	% change	Urad	% change	Lentil	% change
2011-12	3200		2800		3500		3300		2800
2012-13	3850	20.31	3000	07.14	4400	25.71	4300	30.30	2900	03.57
2013-14	4300	11.69	3100	03.33	4500	02.27	4300	00.00	2950	01.72
2014-15	4350	01.16	3175	02.42	4600	02.22	4350	01.16	3075	04.24
2015-16	4625	06.32	3500	10.24	4850	05.43	4625	06.32	3400	10.57

Source: Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)

References:

Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP)

Department of Commerce

Agricultural Statistics at a glance, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer welfare, 2013-14.

Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)

Annual Report, Indian Institute of Pulse Research, 2012-13.