Dal is a bright idea

A weak monsoon should nudge farmers to grow more pulses, oilseeds and millets, not thirsty sugarcane

We knew in April this was going to be a weak monsoon. With half of July gone, around 400 of India’s districts have a rain deficit. That’s a challenge for Indian agriculture, which is still highly rain-dependent. Govt data shows about 45% of our net sown area is rain-fed. So, this was an opportunity for govt to nudge farmers towards hardy, nutritionally superior and environment-friendly crops, like millets, oilseeds, and pulses. Instead, as TOI reported on Tuesday, total acreage under these three crop categories has fallen sharply – pulses 23%, coarse cereals 22%, and oilseeds 21%.

This is clearly a costly problem. Pulses are a key source of protein in Indian diets. They also boost soil fertility. But in a good year, India imports about a fifth of its requirement. This time, it will need to import much more. Likewise, about 55% of India’s edible oil requirement is normally met through imports. With sown area down, expect a bigger import bill. Millets aren’t a major import, but when production falls, prices will rise, and the campaign to make them popular will suffer.

Given the monsoon situation, perhaps some of this decline is unavoidable. But what’s shocking is that, despite the rain deficit, sown area under sugarcane – the most water-hungry crop – has increased . Why are farmers running their tubewells overtime, depleting ground water, for this cash crop? The answer is cash. Since petrol is now mandatorily sold with 20% blended ethanol, and sugarcane is feedstock for it, its cultivation has become remunerative. So, instead of being guided by govt’s well-intentioned “Missions” on pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals, farmers are simply following the money, even if it involves environmental and social costs. Govt should take notice, and tweak its support-price signals.

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