Anticipated Sharp Decline in Tur (Pigeon Pea) Production

New Delhi. The Kharif 2026-27 Tur (pigeon pea) crop has suffered significant damage due to severe drought in the two top-producing states—Maharashtra and Karnataka—as well as deficient rainfall in parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. A substantial decline in both average yield and total output is expected, with crop quality also likely to be adversely affected.

Industry and trade circles estimate that total domestic Tur production for the current season will fall to a low of 2.0–2.5 million tonnes—approximately 1.0–1.5 million tonnes less than the government’s production figures for the 2025-26 season. While the Union Ministry of Agriculture had set a domestic production target of 4.0 million tonnes for the 2026-27 season, actual output is likely to fall 40–50 percent short of this goal.

Although the national sowing area for Tur increased by 2.83 percent—from 4.595 million hectares in the 2025-26 season to 4.725 million hectares in the 2026-27 Kharif season—the crop did not receive adequate water at the critical stages of irrigation. Consequently, the crop has withered in some areas, while in others, it remains at risk of drying up. The quality of the Tur grains may also be poor.

India’s average annual consumption of Tur is approximately 4.0–4.5 million tonnes. According to industry and trade experts, while a sharp decline in domestic production is expected, the supply-demand balance for this essential pulse can be managed by leveraging imports, existing stocks held by NAFED and NCCF, and inventories currently with producers, traders, and pulse millers. Nevertheless, complexities regarding the supply of Tur may persist.