Palamuru ranks first in pulse production

Mahbubnagar: After facing droughts for three consecutive years, Mahbubnagar (Palamuru) district has at last emerged as the leading producer of pulses in the State.

During Kharif this year, an area of 1,04,857 hectares of land was sown with pulses and the officials roughly estimate an output yield of 4,19,428 lakh quintals at the rate of 4 quintals per hectare during the season, in the district.

However, this year’s yield of Red gram has surpassed all their estimates and it is estimated that majority farmers in the district have got a yield of 6 to 7 quintals per hectare amounting to a total production of around 7 lakh quintals in the district.

Never before in the district, have the Markfed officials procured a record of 2 lakh quintals of pulses from the farmers during the past 2-3 months. “This year the markets are flooded with pulses.

Thanks to the government, this time it has opened more procurement centres for buying pulses and rescued the farmers. Earlier, most of us used to go Tandur and Raichur markets to sell our produce,” said Amgoth Ramchander Nayak, who produced more than 12 quintals of Red gram in his two hectares of land.

As per procurement statistics available from the market officials, at present all the 18 godowns in the district are full with 20,000 quintals of pulses.

Not having enough space to store it in the district, the Markfed officials are transporting the stocks procured to other districts and every day more than 20 lorries are plying to transport the produce to other godowns.

“This year we have procured more than 2 lakh quintals of pulses which is a record. In fact Mahbubnagar is in the top place, while Adilabad has procured 91,000 quintals and is at the second place while Vikarabad district has captured the 3rd place with 49,799 quintals,” informed M Bhaskaraiah, district marketing officer.

Of the total procurement done by the government Markfed had procured 1.55 lakh quintals and about 45,000 quintals were procured by HAKA agency.

The officials estimated that with more and more pulses coming in the market, the government has procured only about 25-30 per cent of the total produce, while the private agencies have procured the another 25-30 per cent.

The remaining 40 per cent produce is expected to be stocked by the farmers for their self consumption.