Editor's Pick: Lower rain, higher prices for pulses next

After tomatoes, pulses may see the next spike in prices, as efforts to rein in inflation continue. Less than usual rains in August have meant that sown area for pulses in the kharif season is down by almost 10% from a year back. A 37% surge in vegetable prices saw retail inflation rising to a 15-month high of 7.4% in July. But pulses were seeing an upward trend too, shooting up from 10.6% in June to 13.3% in July. Tur dal and moong dal surged by 34.1% and 9.1% during this time. Experts believe that prices may continue to see an uptick as total sown area for dals — 114.9 lakh hectares as on August 18 — will likely not increase given continuing deficient rainfall as the sowing season nears its end. The Agriculture Department had noted in the third week of July that pulse cultivation had not even reached half the normal extent for the season by that time. Sown area under cereals and rice recently saw 1.6% and 4.3% growth, after lagging behind last year’s total till a few weeks ago. This may moderate their price rise in the coming months. But pulse shortfall combined with easy cereal availability may also affect nutrition security; spending skewed towards cereals may lead to reliance on a staple-based, protein-deficient diet, a 2020 study highlighted. Pulses continue to struggle, with a dip over the last week. Janhavi Prabhakar, an economist at Bank of Baroda highlighted that acreage of pulses is now 9.2% below last year’s levels, “compared to -7.9% in the previous week [August 11], on the back of lower sowing of both urad (-15.3%) and tur (-6.4%).” This may feed into inflation trends. Pulse prices have risen by 18 to 20% since the start of the financial year, and along with reduced area for kharif crop, price escalation is not expected to abate, QuantEco Research economists say. In a report, they noted that while volatile vegetable prices may see relief beyond August, prices for cereals and pulses need to be monitored. In June, India imported 12 lakh tonnes of tur dal for domestic supply and to contain price rise. During the last fiscal, it had imported 8.9 lakh tonnes. India consumes around 44-45 lakh tonnes of tur dal. On the bright side, chana prices have remained relatively stable. Out of India’s total pulse consumption, 46% was chana, while 10% was toor, urad, masoor dal and others. The Southwest monsoon has been 6% below its long period average, as of August 18. States such as U.P., Bihar, Jharkhand and Kerala are still seeing deficient rains. The only exception to this is the north-west, which is seeing rain 8% above LPA. Reservoir levels are also lower nationwide- at 62% on August 17, against 76% last year. The Hindu’s Editorials Election and selection: On the new Congress Working Committee The failure of hope: On the Nanguneri incident in Tamil Nadu The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz The Tamgha-e-Shujaat is a civilian award in Pakistan given for what category? Social service Leadership Bravery Excellence To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 21 August 2023 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( Lower rain, higher prices for pulses next After tomatoes, [pulses may see the next spike in prices]( as efforts to rein in inflation continue. Less than usual rains in August have meant that sown area for pulses in the kharif season is down by almost 10% from a year back.  A 37% surge in vegetable prices saw retail inflation rising to a 15-month high of 7.4% in July. But pulses were seeing an upward trend too, shooting up from 10.6% in June to 13.3% in July. Tur dal and moong dal surged by 34.1% and 9.1% during this time.  Experts believe that prices may continue to see an uptick as total sown area for dals — 114.9 lakh hectares as on August 18 — will likely not increase given continuing deficient rainfall as the sowing season nears its end.  [The Agriculture Department had noted in the third week of July]( that pulse cultivation had not even reached half the normal extent for the season by that time. Sown area under cereals and rice recently saw 1.6% and 4.3% growth, after lagging behind last year’s total till a few weeks ago. This may moderate their price rise in the coming months. But pulse shortfall combined with easy cereal availability may also affect nutrition security; spending skewed towards cereals may lead to reliance on a staple-based, protein-deficient diet, [a 2020 study highlighted](. Pulses continue to struggle, with a dip over the last week. Janhavi Prabhakar, an economist at Bank of Baroda highlighted that acreage of pulses is now 9.2% below last year’s levels, “compared to -7.9% in the previous week [August 11], on the back of lower sowing of both urad (-15.3%) and tur (-6.4%).”  This may feed into inflation trends. Pulse prices have risen by 18 to 20% since the start of the financial year, and along with reduced area for kharif crop, price escalation is not expected to abate, QuantEco Research economists say. In a report, they noted that while volatile vegetable prices may see relief beyond August, prices for cereals and pulses need to be monitored.  In June, [India imported 12 lakh tonnes of tur dal]( for domestic supply and to contain [price rise](. During the last fiscal, it had imported 8.9 lakh tonnes. India consumes around 44-45 lakh tonnes of tur dal. On the bright side, chana prices have remained relatively stable. Out of India’s total pulse consumption, 46% was chana, while 10% was toor, urad, masoor dal and others. The Southwest monsoon has been 6% below its long period average, as of August 18. States such as U.P., Bihar, Jharkhand and Kerala are still seeing deficient rains. The only exception to this is the north-west, which is seeing rain 8% above LPA.  Reservoir levels are also lower nationwide- at 62% on August 17, against 76% last year. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Election and selection: On the new Congress Working CommitteeÂ]( [Arrow][The failure of hope: On the Nanguneri incident in Tamil Nadu]( The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz The Tamgha-e-Shujaat is a civilian award in Pakistan given for what category? - Social service - Leadership - Bravery - Excellence To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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