Pigeonpea Milling: A Status Report

About 80% of the total pulse production of the country is converted to dhal which makes pulse milling industry the third largest food industry in the country. Despite this, the pulse mulling industry remains a disorganized sector where standardization is yet to be achieved. The milling machinery is manufactured by the local artisans by trial and error method. A survey report of the status of pigeonpea milling industry in D.P. and Delhi is presented for information and as reference for further work in reducing milling losses and improving the plight of the millers. Seventeen pigeonpea mills and a few mill machinery manufactures were surveyed during this study. All the mills had over 70% hulling efficiency. The process involved in the milling of pigeonpea grain varies from place to place. Inspite of the improved pre-milling treatments available, millers are still using mustad or alsi oil for pre-treatment. Details of unit operations, pre-milling treatments and design specifications of machinery involved in the processing of ‘hard-to-mill’ pigeonpea grain is reported for the benefit of researchers and millers. The bottlenecks in pigeonpea milling were identified.