PIGEON PEA (TUR) PRODUCTION IN INDIA

Production of Tur (pigeon pea) in India

India being the largest producer of tur in the world contributes to around 85% of the world’s total production that sums up to 2430000 metric tons. The main areas in which tur is cultivated in India are

• Maharashtra (700000 tons)
• Uttar Pradesh (500000 tons)
• Karnataka (300000 tons)
• Madhya Pradesh (300000 tons)
• Gujarat (100000 tons)
• Rajasthan
• Haryana
• Punjab
• Tamil Nadu
• Orissa
• Bihar

India accounts to a production of 12-15 million tons of pulses and pigeon pea constitutes to around 20% of the share in it. India is also the leading country in the list of maximum area covered contributing to around 3.73 million hectares. This crop yields between 600 to 1200 kg per hectare.

Indian economy has been dependent on pulses for a long time. India is the largest producer, consumer as well as largest of importer of pulses. Tur or the pigeon pea, in the Indian context, is the second most important crop after peas. Tur too, is being produced the maximum in the world, by the country. The production stands at around 2.5 million tons, which is the 4/5th share in the world and 1/5th share in the total pulses produced in the country. Maharashtra produces the maximum level of pigeon pea in India accounting to 700000 tons.

WORLD SCENARIO OF PIGEON PEA OR TUR

World scenario

The world production of pigeon pea sums up to 3.25 million tons. India is the largest producer contributing to around 85% of the world total production followed by Myanmar and Malawi. It is grown on 4.3 million hectares land in the world, India again leading in this context with 85% of the area covered. Myanmar and Nepal stands on 2nd and 3rd position in the list of the countries with the highest area covered in the production of tur. In Africa, it is cultivated on 0.42 million hectares of land and china contributes to 60000 hectares of land. The area covered in Asia has reached up to 3.81 million hectares as compared to the figure of 2.44 million hectares in 1972. This has led to a 61 % increase in Asia’s production. Also there has been an increase in the production level and the area covered in the production of pigeon pea in Africa. This continent has an astonishing 96% increase in its production and 66% rise in terms of area. The global production of tur has been increasing and is risen up by 43% since 1970. As already mentioned, pigeon pea helps in nitrogen fixation process and can provide 40Kg nitrogen per hectare.

The pigeon pea importing list is topped by the India and the European Union.

The following countries stood out as the topmost pigeon pea producing countries in the world in 2004-05

• India (2430000 MT)
• Myanmar (500000 MT)
• Malawi (79000 MT)
• Uganda (78000 MT)
• Kenya (55000 MT)
• United republic of Tanzania (47000 MT)
• Nepal (26000 MT)
• Dominican Republic (13000 MT)
• Trinidad & Tobago (2900 MT)
• Haiti (2600 MT)
• Panama (2200 MT)
• Bangladesh (2000 MT)
• Venezuela (2000 MT)
• Burundi (1800 MT)
• Jamaica (1300 MT)
• Grenada (500 MT)
• Comoros (300 MT)
• Bahamas (125 MT)

Though India is the largest producer of the crop but it is not into the exports of tur at all, as the domestic consumption demand in the country is quite high and Myanmar, the neighbouring country to India leads the tur exporting countries’ list. The major importing countries that import tur or pigeon pea are

• Myanmar
• Republic of Tanzania
• Kenya
• Malawi
• Uganda
• Mozambique