Pulses, oilseeds demand to outstrip supply

If you thought that the current high trend in pulses and prices would subside in the coming few years, think again, because as per government estimates, pulses and oilseeds production will continue to lag demand in the next two years.

The demand-supply mismatch in these two vital commodities have been there for the last several years necessitating an annual imports of around 1.0 to 3.0 million tonne of pulses and around 4.0 million to 6 million tonne of edible oils.

However, experts believe that the situation could be reversed through concerted effort to raise output and augment supplies. Distribution of pulses and edible oils at cheap rates to the lower strata of the society could help in bringing their prices down.

As per official estimates, the country’s pulses production is expected to increase from around 14.86 million in 2009-10 to around 15.73 million tonne in 2011-2012, up by almost 6%. But, at the same time, demand for this vital commodity?commonly called as poor man’s protein?is expected to rise from 18.29 million tonne in 2009-10 to around 19.91 million tonne in 2011-2012, a rise of around 9%.

In 2009-10, the difference between demand and supply of pulses is estimated to be around 3.43 million tonne, which is projected to swell to around 4.18 million tonne by 2011-2012 because of rising demand and almost flat production.

India imported around 1.65 million tonne of pulses in 2005-06, which rose to around 2.79 million tonne in 2007-08 as demand rose steadily while output failed to keep pace. Similarly, in the case of oilseeds, demand is expected to rise faster than production in the coming two years.

The country?s oilseeds output is expected to rise from 26.71 million tonne in 2009-10 to around 27.53 million tonne in 2011-2012, an increase of around 3%. However, demand for oilseeds during the same period is expected to rise from 49.35 million tonne in 2009-10 to around 53.39 million tonne in 2011-2012, an increase of around 8%. The gap between demand and supply of oilseeds is projected to increase from 12.64 million tonne in 2009-10 to around 25.86 million tonne in 2011-2012.

Meanwhile, highlighting the steps being taken by the government to tide over the deficiency, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar told in the Parliament on Tuesday that the erstwhile schemes of oilseeds development programme and national pulses development have been reviewed and merged into one centrally sponsored scheme.

Also, the national food security mission on pulses is under implementation in 171 districts for increasing pulses output.