Pradeep Ghorpade, CEO, IPGA (India Pulses and Grains Association) interacted with Dipti Barve, Assistant editor, www.agrospectrumindia.com about current scenario of pulses industry. IPGA is the apex body of India’s pulses and grains industry & trade and its membership encompasses market participants along the value chain.
Editorial Excerpts:
. How does IPGA operate Pulses value chain across the country?
India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), is the apex body of India’s pulses and grains industry & trade and its membership encompasses market participants along the value chain. IPGA is a not-for-profit organisation registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013 (earlier Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956) with a membership of over 270 including various regional associations of the Pulses industry. The association has a pan India reach of over 10,000 stake holders involved in the farming, processing, warehousing and import business of Pulses across the entire value chain.
IPGA’s vision is to make Indian pulses and grains industry & trade globally competitive; and in so doing, help advance India’s food and nutrition security. IPGA takes the onus of essaying a leadership role in the domestic agri-business and play a more proactive role in the global domain to foster healthy relations among Indian market participants and between India and all associates overseas. As the apex body of the trade, IPGA constantly strives to bring together all stakeholders along the value chain so as to evolve holistic solutions aimed at strengthening the sector.
In pursuance of its objectives IPGA will seek to address issues that impact production, productivity and marketability of pulses in the country. These include input management, improved agronomic practices, logistics (scientific storage and movement), procurement policy, and inclusion of pulses in the Public Distribution System (PDS), to name a few.
IPGA is also working towards ironing out the various hurdles faced by the multiple stakeholders directly and indirectly aligned with the Pulses trade. These include Importers, Traders, Brokers, Millers, Indenters, Clearing House Agents, Shipping Companies, C & F Agents as well as Transport Companies.
. What is IPGA’s stand about pulses supply and MSP on the backdrop of decline in pulses production (estimated nearly 8.2 Million tonnes which is about 4.5 % lower than 8.59 MT in previous kharif season) this year?
The figure of 8.23 million tons is as per the 1st Advance Estimate released by the Ministry of Agriculture and there is still time for the final production numbers. However, as we all are aware, pulses are primarily grown in rain-fed territories and any significant change in the monsoon patterns in terms of timing and/or quantity can affect the final production numbers. The prices of pulses are extremely dynamic and fluctuate on the basis of multiple factors including demand, production, availability, etc. and all these factors determine whether the pulses sell at, above or below the MSP.
. Currently what challenges IPGA is facing in the inclusion of pulses in the public distribution system?
IPGA has been engaging with the Ministries of Agriculture as well as Consumer Affairs for the last few years focussing on inclusion of pulses in the PDS. However, there are a number of modalities that need to be considered in terms of procurement, storage, distribution as well as involvement of State Governments to be able to implement this and are hopeful that all these modalities will get worked out in the near future.
. How allowing free exports of all pulses going to impact pulses industry in India?
The free exports of Pulses will definitely help the farmer get a good price discovery and create a good competitive environment in the domestic business. However, it will take some time for the exports to pick-up given the long gap of 11 years after which exports were opened by the Government of India.
