News Capsule: Kharif Pulses Sowing Down; Weak Monsoon and El Niño Raise Production Concerns
31-Jul-2026 05:37 PM
News Capsule: Kharif Pulses Sowing Down; Weak Monsoon and El Niño Raise Production Concerns
★ As of July 31, 2026, India's kharif pulses sowing stood at 9.518 million hectares, compared with 10.160 million hectares during the same period last year, reflecting a decline of 642,000 hectares. Below-normal rainfall, a weak monsoon, and growing El Niño concerns have affected sowing across most pulse crops.
★ The sharpest decline has been recorded in pigeon pea (tur/arhar), where the sown area fell to 3.491 million hectares from 3.844 million hectares a year ago. Being a long-duration crop, pigeon pea faced lower farmer interest amid uncertain weather conditions.
★ Moong acreage declined from 3.223 million hectares to 2.922 million hectares, while moth bean sowing fell from 866,000 hectares to 695,000 hectares. The area under other pulse crops also witnessed a marginal decline.
★ In contrast, urad (black gram) sowing increased from 1.904 million hectares to 2.108 million hectares. The increase was mainly driven by attractive market prices at the time of sowing. In addition, urad is a short-duration crop, unlike pigeon pea, making it a lower-risk option under uncertain monsoon conditions. As a result, many farmers shifted acreage from pigeon pea to urad.
★ The sowing window for kharif pulses is now gradually closing across most producing states, limiting the possibility of any significant recovery in acreage.
★ If rainfall does not improve during August and El Niño conditions persist, kharif pulse production could be adversely affected. This may increase India's dependence on imports, particularly for pigeon pea and other key pulse varieties.
★ IGrain India believes that lower sowing, weather-related risks, concerns over reduced production, and the closing sowing window are likely to strengthen bullish sentiment in the pulses market. Unless weather conditions improve significantly, pulse prices are expected to remain firm and may move higher in the coming months.