India to introduce lentil cultivation

By SHIRLEY MAULUDU
INDIA has proposed to introduce the cultivation of lentil in PNG, High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea Nagendra Kumar Saxena says.
Saxena, pictured, told The National yesterday that he had been trying to discuss this with the Government and authorities.
He said India would provide the technical know-how, seeds and equipment needed for the lentil cultivation.
Saxena said the land would remain with the landowners and the farmers.
“India stands ready to purchase from the farmers,” he said.
“We do not want to deprive locals of anything.
He said India produced three to four crops of lentils a year producing between four and five million tonnes.
According to information on internet, lentil is an edible pulse, a bushy annual plant of the legume family known for its lens-shaped seeds.
It is about 40 centimetres tall and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each.  Lentils are also available in black, yellow, red and orange colours.
In South Asian cuisine, split lentils (often with their hulls removed) are known as dhal.
Dhal, usually eaten with rice or roti, is a dietary staple throughout regions of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. As a food crop, the majority of world production comes from Canada, India and Australia.