An Analysis of Growth Trends Swarna Sadasivan Pulses production at the disaggregate level of seasons, states, crops and periods shows a number of significant changes in response to various changes in the agricultural background. The paper examines the pulses production at the disaggregate level, to ascertain the nature of stagnancy in pulses production and identifies some of the common features of states with similar patterns of production. The obvious stagnancy at all-India level is the net result of changing situation at the disaggregate level rather than an overall stagnancy Two distinct patterns of pulses production seem to emerge for wet and dry areas. Judging from trends in rates of growth of area in cereals, oilseeds and pulses season wise, over the past twenty years, pulses seem to face adverse competition from cereals only in five states in the rabi season. About 15 per cent of the total pulses production, mostly in dry states, do not seem to face any adverse competition from the expansion of area under cereals.
