Status, Growth and Variability of Chickpea Production in India

Background: Chickpea is the largest produced food legume in South Asia and the third largest produced food legume globally. It has been well recognized as a valuable source of protein in India where majority of the population is vegetarian. In spite of biggest producer of pulses in Asian Continent, India additionally imports a large quantity of pulses per year to satisfy the growing domestic demand. The current study aimed to study the growth in production and its possible causes to narrow down wide gap between demand and supply of pulses in India. Methods: The investigation was relied mainly on the secondary data i.e. time series data on area, production and productivity of chickpea in major states and at all India level. The chickpea growing states were selected contributing at least 80 percent of share with respect to area during 2020-21. The paper examined time series data pertaining to the period 1970-71 to 2020-21. The analytical tools like compound growth rate and Cuddy-Della Valle Index were used. Result: In all the major chickpea producing states area, production and productivity exhibited positive growth rate. But the main reason for increase in chickpea production was expansion in area as compared to productivity in recent years due to highest increase in MSP in recent years. At all India level, all the particulars exhibited positive growth. In Madhya Pradesh productivity of chickpea had shown higher instability than area while all the other states and India as a whole exhibited higher instability in area.