Bimal Kothari, Chairman, IPGA
India’s kharif pulses crop size will eventually depend on rainfall during August and September rather than on the extent of area sown, according to India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA) chairman, Bimal Kothari. Pulses sowing has picked up in recent weeks, but the overall acreage is still trailing last year’s levels.“As of now, there are no major concerns or complaints. We received rainfall from early July, and then rainfall resumed around 18–19 July. Since then, there has been a good amount of rain across most parts of the country. The only exception appears to be Karnataka, where there are still some issues with rainfall. Earlier, there was a deficit in sowing in pulses, but that has now been largely recovered. The deficit is mainly in tur (pigeon pea), but with the ongoing rains, it is expected to recover. Urad acreage has improved significantly. Therefore, as far as sowing numbers are concerned, there does not appear to be any significant shortfall now. The situation has largely been addressed. However, the key factor to watch is the rainfall during August-September,” Kothari said.The IPGA chairman said that while adequate rainfall is essential for the crops to mature, according to the IMD forecast, rainfall during August and September is projected to be below normal. “If sufficient rainfall does not occur in the key crop-growing areas in August, it could adversely affect the crops that have already been sown. Having said that, I think it is still premature to draw any conclusion,” he said.Selling below MSPThe pulses acreage was 84.57 lakh hectares (lh) as of July 24 compared to 91.46 lh in the same period last year. Tur has been planted on 31.37 lh (35.27 lh in the same period last year), while urad has been sown on 18.67 lh (17.27 lh). Moong bean acreage was 26.87 lh (28.39 lh).“While below-normal rainfall may appear concerning, moderate showers at the right time could actually benefit the crop by avoiding harvest-time damage. As of now, however, I do not see any major cause for concern,” Kothari said.On the supply side, Kothari said the supply is plenty, and a lot of pulses are selling below the minimum support price (MSP). “I don’t think there is any concern. While prices of other food products such as sugar and edible oils have increased, the prices of pulses are stable. Rather, it has declined since April, and there is no positive contribution of pulses to the food inflation,” Kothari said.“While the availability of pulses is there, if there is any issue with the crops, we can always import them. We are freely allowed to import until March 31, 2027. I am not concerned with current year availability as the supply is in abundance. The only worry is if we don’t have much rainfall during August-September and there’s no moisture left in the ground, then it may have an impact on the rabi crop.“Our concern should be 2027, not 2026. If rainfall remains deficient and soil moisture is not adequately replenished, it could affect the rabi pulses crop to be harvested in February-March 2027. At this stage, it is too early to assess whether the impact, if any, will be mild or severe,” he said.Published on July 27, 2026
