Trade Talk with G. Chandrashekhar/
Rabi Season Sowing

0:30 The sowing of rabi season pulses is underway. Could you give us the timeframe for the normal planting window and tell us what the seeding conditions are like in the major pulse growing areas?

2:55 Could you rundown the government’s seeding and production targets for this rabi season and give us your thoughts about them?

7:58 To follow up, is there a reason the government has yet to set a production target for lentils?

9:12 Last month, you mentioned we are heading into a triple-dip La Niña. Could you summarize the possible impacts this might have on India’s rabi season pulse production?

11:32 In October, the government announced MSPs for rabi season crops, and the biggest increase went to lentils. Could you give us your thoughts on how you see MSPs impacting the sowing of pulses this rabi season?

13:51 Given factors like the MSPs, current prices and import policies, including the extension for duty free lentil imports, how do you see grower interest in pulses this rabi season?

15:30 Let’s backup a bit now and talk about new crop arrivals of kharif season pulses. Last month, you anticipated quality issues due to the unfavorable weather. What can you tell us about this kharif season’s pulse crops and how markets are responding?

17:43 Recently, the Hindu Business Line ran a column of yours where you drive home many of the points you’ve made before, about the pulse area hitting a saturation point and the need to improve yields to boost production, as well as the importance of increasing per capita pulse consumption. Are you finding that policymakers are receptive to these ideas?