Date:25/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/05/25/stories/2006052501251000.htm

Back The pulses predicament

Why are coarse cereals and pulses, which are more nutritious than the fine cereals, neglected by policymakers?

"Half of India's children are under-weight; among the worst cases in the world." This shocking revelation, contained in a recent World Bank Malnutrition Report is unlikely to ring alarm bells in the corridors of power, if the past is any guide. It is plausible that we, as a country, have become insensitive to issues of food and nutrition security. How else does one explain the continuing neglect of coarse cereals and pulses that are admittedly more nutritious than the fine cereals?

No doubt, the Green Revolution pulled the country out of its `ship-to-mouth' existence and brought a sense of self-reliance in foodgrains production, especially rice and wheat. But the farm revolution completely bypassed pulses and oilseeds. No wonder, the country is today the world's largest importer of pulses and vegetable oil. Yet, protein and calorie deficiency are pervasive, especially among rural children and women, with serious implications for productivity and mortality. As shown at the recent International Pulses Conference, decades of stagnant acreage (20-23 million hectares), low yield (500-600 kg/ha) and fluctuating production (13-14 million tonnes) have meant a steep fall in per capita consumption of pulses. It is a measure of the policymakers' apathy and neglect of the pulses sector that 50 years ago the per capita consumption of pulses was close to 24 kg but now is just a little over 12 kg, when actually the caput use ought to be over 17 kg. Even this number actually masks the skew in consumption pattern. The really needy get to consume substantially smaller quantities.

Considering that pulses are poor man's main source of vegetable protein, lack of policy intervention all these years to break the stagnancy is inexcusable. Demand, on the other hand, has been rising because of the steady income and population growth. Therefore, the continuing mismatch between indigenous output and consumption requirement has resulted in yearly imports of 15-20 lakh tonnes that constitute 10-15 per cent of the domestic output. The demand for pulses is both income and price elastic. The alarming price increases in recent months — from 20-30 per cent in case of gram (chana) and pigeon pea (tur/arhar) to as high as 80 per cent for black matpe (urad) — hurts consumer interest. A large part of the price spurt can be attributed to speculation on the commodity exchanges.

It is imperative that pulses are made both affordable and accessible universally to become an integral part of the diet. Government procurement for supply through public distribution system and as part of midday meal schemes and welfare programmes would provide adequate marketing support to growers. The idea of crop diversification — from wheat and rice to legumes that offer attendant benefit of nitrogen fixation — has to be moved forward. Pulses offer an excellent alternative.