India’s overall pulses acreage has almost caught up with last year’s levels, aided by a recovery in monsoon rainfall across several states, according to The Hindu BusinessLine. As of August 14, overall pulses area stood at 108.14 lakh hectares (lh), a tad lower than 108.49 lh in the corresponding period a year ago.
Tur and moong shortfall
The paper reported a shortfall of 4 per cent each in varieties like tur (pigeon pea) and moong (green gram), largely due to deficit rains in the key producing states of Karnataka and Maharashtra. Still, adequate stocks in the country will help ease the supplies, stakeholders said.
Higher coverage under tur in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh offset the decline in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. State-wise tur acreage as of August 14:
| State | Tur area Aug 14 (lh) | A year ago (lh) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnataka | 10.53 | 13.72 | -23% |
| Maharashtra | 11.79 | 12.06 | Lower |
| Madhya Pradesh | 2.51 | 3.24 | -22% |
| Gujarat | 2.38 | 2.19 | +9% |
| Telangana | 2.02 | 1.88 | +7% |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1.78 | 1.53 | +16% |
| Uttar Pradesh | 4.92 | 3.53 | +39% |
In Karnataka, tur acreage stood about 23 per cent lower at 10.53 lh against 13.72 lh last year; in Maharashtra it was 11.79 lh versus 12.06 lh; and in Madhya Pradesh it fell 22 per cent to 2.51 lh from 3.24 lh, according to the report.
Urad acreage rises
In urad (black matpe), states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan saw area increases that offset the decline in Maharashtra. Urad area is up 65 per cent in Uttar Pradesh at 6.11 lh (3.69 lh last year), up 28 per cent in Rajasthan at 3.99 lh (3.12 lh), and up 19 per cent in Madhya Pradesh at 7.07 lh (5.92 lh), the report said.
Moong nearly flat
For moong, the area is almost flat in Rajasthan at 23.06 lh against 23.24 lh a year ago. Maharashtra has seen a decline of 30 per cent at 1.45 lh (2.09 lh), while Karnataka is down 12 per cent at 3.66 lh (4.16 lh), the article added.
Stocks and supply outlook
In comments reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, Satish Upadhyay, Honorary Secretary of the India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), said:
Shortfall in tur and moong area is not a cause for concern as there's enough stock. The Government is having a stock of 1.2 million tonnes, plus there are stocks at port and with the farmers and trade. While initially there was a concern about lower area under urad, but the acreage has surpassed last year's levels now, which should help the output. If the September rains are there as per the forecast there's likely to be an improvement in the yields.
The government holds 1.2 million tonnes of pulses, supplemented by port-side stocks and inventories with farmers and trade, which underpin supplies despite the modest acreage dip. The monsoon recovery across several states was the primary driver behind acreage catching up, according to the source.
For commodity traders and procurement teams, the next key trigger is September rainfall, which Upadhyay said could improve yields. The report, published on August 14, 2026, noted that initial concerns over lower urad sowing have eased as acreage surpassed last year's level.
Sources:
