February 14, 2022
The senior editor of the Hindu Business Line provides preliminary rabi season pulse production figures and discusses imports, demand and the latest headlines.
0:25 Let’s begin by recapping the rabi season sowing figures. Last time we spoke, I believe we were close to final numbers. Could you give us a rundown of the latest area estimates for the major rabi season pulse crops?
4:18 In January, India received good rains, which should bode well for yields. There is still some time to go before harvest, but given where things stand at the moment, how do you see the production outlook for each pulse crop?
6:57 Turning to imports, what pulses is India currently importing and which origins are the major suppliers at the moment?
8:38 Recently, the Economic Survey for 2021-22 came out with some recommendations for the agriculture sector. Crop diversification was one of them. What could this mean for the pulses sector?
11:49 India’s finance ministry recently presented the Union budget for 2022-23. Could you speak to its implications for the ag sector and especially about what the reduction in funding for two programs that procure crops at MSP?
14:38 The government is promoting the sowing of zaid season crops. This would be between the rabi and kharif season. Could you tell us a bit about the zaid season – such as seeding and harvest windows – and what pulse crops might be grown then?
17:47 As we were setting up this interview, you mentioned that COVID restrictions were easing in India. Does this mean we are going to see a revival of demand soon?
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