Interview:- India Pulses: Branding sets benchmarks in quality

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.

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.

As published in: http://www.commodityonline.com/news/india-pulses-branding-sets-benchmarks-in-quality-50449-3-50450.html

Interview:- Will MSP hike in pulses, oilseeds negatively affect prices

Last Updated : 31 October 2011 at 10:50 IST
The India government, in a bid to incentivize production of oil seeds have decided to give a fillip in the form of MSP(Minimum Support Price) hike for Mustard Seed and several other commodities. Also, the government hiked the MSP for wheat, but not to the same extent that it decided in case of mustard seed.

So, will the hike in MSP for mustard seed affect its prices negatively on the NCDEX? If yes, when and to what extent? Will the hike in MSP’s for oil seed would be at the cost of Wheat production?

Sudha Acharya, oil seed/pulses analyst with Kotak Commodities gives the answers to Rakesh Neelakandan of Commodity Online in an interview.

Q: How effective is the MSP regime when it comes to boosting crop output?

Sudha: The announcement of Minimum Support Price has a positive impact on crop output. It largely helps the farmers to give preference in order to allocate his farm acreage. However one should not forget that MSP is not the key factor to boost the production prospects as there are various other factors like.

a) Weather conditions

b) Rainfall and soil moisture

c) Price during the season

d) Prices for the competitive crop

We have a very good example this year during Kharif season where favorable weather played a very important role in allotment of acreage despite the significant surge in MSP.









Q: To what extent do you think production and productivity of the MSP-hiked commodities would gain?

Sudha: The productivity of any commodity largely depends on the rainfall and weather conditions during the period of crop growth. Also quality of seed sown impacts the productivity and the production. Hence the hike in MSP will not largely impact the production as it is an incentive to the farmers to allocate the land to the commodity while sowing.

Q: Will the hike in MSP for mustard seed affect its prices negatively on the NCDEX? If yes, when and to what extent?

Sudha: The recent hike in Mustard Seed MSP by Rs.550/qtl to Rs.2500 will not have any negative impact on prices due to firm fundamentals. Mustard seed prices traded at NCDEX during 1st to 27th October has rallied from Rs.2663/qtl to Rs.3114/qtl. The rise in price is mainly attributed to declining stocks at NCDEX ware house (from 160556 tons to 90143 tons during 3rd to 25th October 2011) and low inventories with the traders at the cash market.

Q: Chana (and for that matter masoor) are also seen getting a hike in MSP’s. Will the move affect chana prices negatively?

Sudha: Rise in Chana MSP is much higher as compared to other commodities this season. Chana MSP is at Rs.2800/qtl up by Rs.700/qtl as compared to last year. Such a move by the government is made in order to boost the pulses production in Rabi season and to offset the lower output during the Kharif season and also lower the dependence on imports. I do not see any negative impact on prices due to lower inventories and production during the season 2010-11.

Q: Do you feel soybean is getting enough of price support in MSP?

Sudha: I feel that soy beans are not getting enough support through MSP as compared to other oil seed crops this year. As compared to the spot.









Q: Will the hike in MSP’s for oil seed would be at the cost of Wheat production?

Sudha: I don’t feel the hike in MSP for oil seed would be at a cost of wheat production. India’s edible oil imports counts for more than 50% of its annual consumption. Hence, in order to lower the country’s dependence on imports and make the country self reliant we need to give incentive to the farmers to increase the oilseed cultivation. The major reason for discouraging the farmers to cover acreages in Wheat is overflowing stocks with the government of India. Higher stocks are result of record wheat production since last two years as compared to other crops.

As published in: http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Will-MSP-hike-in-pulses-oilseeds-negatively-affect-prices-43339-3-1.html

Pulses can get your pulse racing

Can being a vegetarian keep you sexy and healthy? One cannot help but wonder seeing the poster.

“I am Amrita Rao, and I am a vegetarian”, proclaims the poster featuring the ace actress in hot pants and T-shirt. Peta or People for Ethical Treatment of Animal have brought Amrita Rao to the forefront in a campaign aimed to prevent cruelty and ill-treatment against animals.

The way to slimming and gleaming youth hood can be through vegetarianism, one has to believe looking at the poster.

But who would address the alleged protein deficiency and associated health issues that may come up when someone becomes a vegetarian? On a broader perspective this question can be stretched to include,” how India would tackle the issue of malnutrition and resultant child death”?

Just look at this:

Approximately 60 million children are underweight in India. Given its impact on health, education and productivity, persistent undernutrition is a major obstacle to human development and economic growth in the country, especially among the poor and the vulnerable, where the prevalence of malnutrition is highest, says a World Bank report.

“The progress in reducing the proportion of undernourished children in India over the past decade has been modest and slower than what has been achieved in other countries with comparable socioeconomic indicators. While aggregate levels of undernutrition are shockingly high, the picture is further exacerbated by the significant inequalities across states and socioeconomic groups – girls, rural areas, the poorest and scheduled tribes and castes are the worst affected – and these inequalities appear to be increasing.” The report adds.

Given this scenario, how can India tackle the issue?

Eat more pulses!

The nation is one of the biggest producers, consumers and importers of pulses.

“Even Australia and Canada are producing pulses eyeing the Indian market.” Says Amit Sreedharan, Business Head, i-Shakti pulses; a business venture by Tata group.

“Pulses host 18% -24% protein content and thus can be a cheap source of protein.” he says.

India currently has produced around 17 million tons of pulses and may import another 3 million tons to meet domestic requirement.

“India needs to produce more of pulses.” He added.

Tata Chemicals has launched a campaign “grow more pulses” to promote pulses cultivation in the country.

“India has a traditional bias towards vegetarian diet, given its socio-cultural background.” Sreedharan said.

“This phenomenon is unique to India.” He added.

But this has posed a challenge before the authorities in finding ways and means to address the malnutrition issue as meat is a strict no.

The youth in India are increasingly becoming health conscious and many of them consciously opt for vegetarian diet.

There have been changes in consumption pattern in India and there is a huge crowd for meat and meat products. But the nation’s socio-cultural aspects ensure a steady mine of vegetarian diet.

The “grow more pulses” campaign has attracted very good response in terms of farmer co-operation.” Amit Sreedharan confirmed.

The company is planning to reach out to more farmers.

“In Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the campaign has been effective.” He concluded.

Okay, it could be difficult to skip that helping of Chicken-65 or Hot Wings. But one can actually move to include more vegetable content in their diet; especially pulses.

“Pulses can get pulses racing...” says Amrita Rao.

Stay sexy, be veggy!

As published in: http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Pulses-can-get-your-pulse-racing-40878-3-1.html