Last Updated : 21 September 2012 at 11:55 IST
Branding has always been an attempt to ensure quality and marketability of a product. Since it is difficult for consumers to ensure quality of a product, branding helps them identify items that they can purchase with confidence.
Branding has always been an attempt to ensure quality and marketability of a product. Since it is difficult for consumers to ensure quality of a product, branding helps them identify items that they can purchase with confidence.
Amit Sreedharan, General Manager at Ishakti Dals, a division of Tata Chemicals talks to Rakesh Neelakandan ofCommodity Online on pulses and their cultivation, branding and kirana shops.
Q: Despite news items repeatedly featuring a surge in production, India always seem to be short of the 3 million tons pulses that it needs. While factoring in growing population and consumption, is there anything peculiar about the 3 million tons of pulses that we need to import. How do you see this conundrum?
A:Pulses is an important element in the diet that meets the protein requirements. From the demand side, as income levels rise, demand for pulses is also growing at a robust rate. As per the statistics, the per capita availability of pulses has fallen over the last 50 years from 60 gm/day/ per person in 1970-71 to 36 gm/day/ per person in 2008.
From the supply side, production is not surging every year. After a record production in 2010-11, the production dipped in 2011-12. This means that the carry forward stocks are getting depleted in some years. Hence, imports are required to keep the balance of stocks. India is a major consumer of pulses and is the world’s largest importer. Many countries in the world watch the Indian price and requirement and plan their acreages.
Q: Kirana shops--stores just around the corner-- still do not store branded pulses to the best of my knowledge. But supermarkets do...How do you view the market penetration of branded pulses?
A: It is not true that kirana stores do not stock pulses. In case of Tata I-Shakti Dals, kirana stores are keeping our pulses. Even many stores categorized as SEC B and C class stores are also selling Tata I-Shakti Dals. They believe that it is a quality product of Tata. There is a section of customers that specifically asks for products with health benefits, like our unpolished dals. With the increase in this awareness among the people, the penetration amongst retailers and customers is increasing.
Q:Are farmers some way deterred when it comes to adopting pulses cultivation? Are they getting remunerative prices? What is your experience, especially in the light of India's drought?
A:Farmers look at their return and make corresponding investment in the field. Our MoPu (More Pulses) production program exactly emphasis this with farmers. We encourage the farmers to follow the package of practices (PoP) and hence increasing the yield.
We have seen an average 25-40% increase in yields in areas where PoP is being followed. This helps in getting more yield/acre and hence better remuneration. Over and above this, the price of pulses have generally been robust through the year.
The government has also raised the MSP for pulses. All these factors are encouraging farmers to take up pulses cultivation. Rains are an important factor in pulses cultivation as most of the areas under pulses cultivation are rain-fed or soil-moisture and do not have irrigation. This time due to late rains, acreage for some may have shifted away in Kharif, but chick-pea sowing during rabi is expected to be very good.
Q:What sort of value addition does branded pulses bring in?
A: The quality of pulses is a very important aspect. Since the entire market is unorganized and of loose product, it is very difficult for the customer to identify what is good quality. Many customers hence rely on the general merchant’s advise. Branded pulses like Tata I-Shakti Dal set a benchmark for quality. We provide very consistent size grains, unpolished, low on moisture and great on taste. This quality assurance from a Tata brand is aiding the customer to make a conscious choice of a consistent quality product.
Q:India has developed many pulses varieties; so do many other countries, mostly targeting India; Are these initiatives creating any meaningful impacts?
A:Yes, many initiatives in terms of varieties are being researched and developed. If pulses demand has to be met by the world in the future, we need many more breakthroughs in this area.
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