Diagnosis of Pulses Performance of India

India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world accounting for about 25 per cent of globalproduction, 27 per cent of global consumption and about 33 per cent of the world’s area under pulses.However, compared to cereals like wheat and paddy, the growth rate of area and production of pulses isnegligible and there exists wide variability in their yield in different states of country. The study hasexplored the growth and dynamics of production and consumption of major pulses in different states ofIndia and has made a comparative evaluation of key economic factors affecting their production. Pulseshave exhibited a grim picture in their production performance both spatially and temporally. Area substitutioncoupled with the biased revenue terms of trade has shown preference of cereals and oilseeds over pulses.However, pulses have been found to be preferred over coarse grains. Further, a structural shift in productionperformance of pulses-producing states not only validates the lack of spatial and temporal stability in theirproduction performance but also throws light on the hidden potential of minor states in pulses productionfor long-term sustainability of pulse production.