Balrampur district is named after the erst while princely estate and its capital, Balrampur. It is believed that the name of this estate was derived from its founder Balram Das who founded it in the 16th century.

This district was carved out from the Gonda district on May 25,1997. The district is abode to the renowned Pateshwari Devi Temple (also known as Devipatan), one among the 51 shakti peethas located in Tulsipur. Balrampur is known in the field of Food Processing like Lentil. From industrial point of view Balrampur also produces sand from river which is used in construction of buildings and other related purpose. Balrampur has also rich land for agricultural purpose.

Balrampur district is a part of Devipatan division of Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh. The district lies between 27° 26’ North latitude and 82° 11’ East longitude and covers an area of 3349 Sq. Km. It shares borders with Nepal (Dang Deukhuri District) in the north, Siddharth Nagar & Basti districts in the east, Gonda district in the south & Shrawasti district in the west and the city is around 160 kilometers east of the state capital, Lucknow.

Road: Balramapur has National Highways (NH730 which connects district with Shravasti district, NH330 which connect Balrampur district with Gonda and further to state capital Lucknow. Railways: The District is well connected by Railway as well with trains to Lucknow, Kanpur, and Delhi Airport: Currently the city has no airport. The nearest airport is Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow which is 187 Kms away from the district. The upcoming Shrawasti Airport is just 34 Km away from the district.

Balrampur is a city and a municipal board in Balrampur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is situated on the bank of river Rapti and is the district headquarters of Balrampur district. Balrampur is known in the field of Food Processing. From industrial point of view Balrampur also produces sand from river which is used in construction of buildings and other related purpose. Balrampur has also rich land for agricultural purpose. It is part of purvanchal Uttar Pradesh district located adjacent to Nepal & Bank of Rapti, known as Trai area. The weather of district hot and moist, area getting sufficient rainwater in season, agricultures farming depends on rainwater. The most of land are fertile, main crop Sugarcanes, wheat, rice, mustard etc.

Balrampur situated on the bank of River Rapti, is an important tourist destination. The religious sites are the main Tourist Attractions in Balrampur. One of the most popular Hindu worship places is situated in Tulsipur about 27 kilometers from the district headquarters. It is known as Devi Patan. The temple has the distinction of having included in 51 “Shaktipeethas” of Goddess Durga according to Hindu mythology. Apart from that, Bijleshwari Devi Temple is also famous among locals situated in Bijlipur. The temple is built by the Maharaja of Balrampur in the 19th Century and is a fine example of intricate carving in red stone, which cover the whole structure. During British period Balrampur riyasat was one of the important states of Avadh area. The amazing Neel Bagh Palace is also situated inside the city. It is one of the most frequently visite places by the tourists. Balrampur city is in close vicinity of Shravasti where Lord Gautam Buddha is considered to have displayed his supernatural powers in the spiritual transformation of Angulimala,a famous dacoit who wore a necklace (mala) of fingers (anguli).

The district has 868 industries that employ around 3324 individuals . The key industries of the district food/agro-based industries, repair & servicing, wood, Readymade garment and embroidery, chemical, leather, etc. The Agro based products units comprises of around 502 units of production in Balrampur. The total turnover of these units is Rs. 1230.85 crores through domestic sales but does not directly export. Food/ Agro products MSME with 502 units in the district is the most prominent and economy contributing sector of the district. It is followed by sectors such as “Wood and wooden based furniture and Repairing services with 45 units and 180 unit respectively.

Industrial areas and industrial estates of the district Out of total population of 21,48,665, total 7,60,253 are working population. Out of total working population, 79.6% are cultivators and agricultural labourers and only 3.9% are household industry workers and 16.4% are other workers. This indicates that agriculture is the main source of income in the district.

The following table depicts the major export products from Balarampur:

In Balrampur, rural population is approximately 80% and is majorly involved into agriculture & farm related occupations. Balrampur is a lowland area where small lentil pulses are cultivated as cash crops. Five different types of small lentil varieties are found here. The high-quality lentil pulses of Balrampur are sold in other parts of the state as well as in Bengal and Assam. The focus product under the ODOP scheme has been selected as the Pulses in food processing. Since the district is known for its food processing industry, has favourable soil conditions due to the presence of river Rapti, fertile land is available so growing pulses is very easy and farmers can cultivate it with less input cost. Balrampur district is known for the food processing industry and district covers approximately 37900 hectares of land (area under pulses). Masur is grown as one of the major crops engaging approximately 25699 hectares of land, productivity of crop is 11.79 quintal per hectare and production is approximately 30263.7 tonnes and approx. 45000 farmers connected with various types of pulse cultivation. The total cultivable area of Balrampur District is approximately 2.52 Lakh Hectares out of this only 37900 Hectares (15%) is utilized for growing of pulses and total production is 40571.96 tonnes. Arhar, Urad, Matar and Chana are grown in almost all blocks in small quantities for self-consumption (depending upon the annual need of the family) Arhar is mainly grown in the Harhariya Block (approximately 80%). Masur is mainly growing the River Rapti Basin area and covers Balrampur, Harriya Sathgarhwa, Tulsipur, Utraula, Sridattganj and Gainsari Blocks and is mainly grown for commercial purposes, in cases farmer also sells this dal to buy Arhar and other dal for consumption purposes. In district, wheat, sugarcane, rice is the major crops grown for commercial purposes. Balrampur got benefit in terms of major pulse area (Masur) and major mills (pulse processing mills) came into Balrampur Jurisdiction area. Masur and Arhar used to be one of the major crops grown in the district and Masur was commercially sold in the district Mandi and other nearby markets. Out of the total 10 pulse processing mills, 6 mills are registered with DIEPC, and 6 mills are equipped with latest machinery such as Sortex. All the units are located in Mini Industrial Estate (Bhagwatiganj) present in Balrampur District. .

Dals are an integral part of the Indian diet. A major source of protein, that the vegetarians use in their everyday meals. India is home to many different varieties of lentils, dried beans, pulses, and legumes. Traditionally, Balrampur district is renowned for its Red Lentils (Masur Dal) production. The other type of pulses which are grown in the district are pigeon pea (Arhar), Urad (Black Gram), Chana (Brown Chickpeas), Moong (Green Gram) etc., Lentils receive their scientific name, Lens culinaris, from their curved lens-shaped seed. They are a type of legume that is native to Western Asia and North America. Lentils are one of the earliest domesticated crops, seen in the diets of ancient Rome and Egypt. Many countries enjoy lentils as a dietary staple, as they offer an earthy, mild, nutty flavour that works well in various recipes. Canada leads the world’s production of lentils, followed by India. Lentil seeds are an excellent source of plant-based proteins and represent a viable alternative to animal and soybean proteins for food processing formulations. Lentil proteins provide not only dietary amino acids but are also a source of bioactive peptides that provide health benefits. Pulses must be processed to improve their nutritional value. Dehusking, soaking, germination, boiling, roasting, and fermentation are all common methods for preparing them for consumption. Soaking and germination aid in the removal of trypsin inhibitors, proteolytic enzyme inhibitors, phytate and tannin content, as well as increasing protein digestibility and mineral bioavailability such as iron and zinc. They may be sold as whole lentils or split with the husks removed. Whole lentils with husks intact take longer to cook and will retain their shape; split lentils without husks cook very quickly and break down into a puree. These differences in texture will determine in which recipes they may be used. Lentils are available dried or canned.
Nutritional and Health Benefits from Pulses.

The following are the key varieties of different type pulses which are produce, processing and sale domestic and indirect export in the cluster:
► Lentil: Narender Masur -1 (majorly grown in the district), PL-A-20 & IPL-316, Shekhar Masoor 3 (KL-320), KL-8, UP-008, Chhoti Masur varieties (Farmers prefer), etc.
► Pigeon pea: NA-1, NA-2,
► Urad (Black Gram): NU-1, NU-2
► Moong (Green Gram): NM-1 ;

► Farmers
► Agri input suppliers
► Agri machinery suppliers
► Mills
► Traders
► Banks and Financial Institutions
► DAO/ Agriculture department
► Krishi Vigyan Kendra
► DIEPC
► Traders
► Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur,
► CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute
► Broker of local and out of district and other state
► Exporters
► MSME DI
► DGFT
► Cooperative / Societies
► Research Institution
► India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA)
► Uttar Pradesh seed development corporation, Lucknow
► ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering (CIAE)

Current Scenario The export scenario of India and Uttar Pradesh has been analysed basis the export statistics of HS codes mentioned above under which food processing related to pulses (Masoor) are exported. Alongside are the key facts pertaining to the analysed product codes. Based on our analysis, we have identified key synergies that should be developed to expand our current reach and potential; These synergies are divided into immediate and long term. The immediate synergies include countries with Signed FTA’s, high growth potential, and one is catered by India and not UP. Whereas the long-term synergies include countries with untapped market potential which can only be fulfilled if UP’s exporters comply and raise the quality of the ;

As various products are manufactured and sold under the food processing related to pulses products like Masoor (Lentil) of Balrampur , in order to gauge our understanding of where India stands relative to the world on the trade of these products, each product has been delved into as a separate unit defined by its exports and imports in comparison to its competition and potential markets to target in the future. The consolidated list of countries that India can target, respective to the analysis carried out in each chapter are Bangladesh, USA, Bhutan, Qatar, UAE, Italy, Nepal, Netherlands, Singapore, Thailand, as mapped below. Product 1: 071340; _ Dried, shelled lentils, whether or not skinned or split India's exports represent 0.6% of world exports for this product, ranking it number 9. The value of India’s exports over the last 5 years have increased by CAGR 1% with a sharp increase in 2018 and then a subsequent dip post. As per data FY 2018-19 to 2020-21 for exports from the state of UP, it is observed that there has been increased by CAGR 42.88%, with a similarly sharp increase from 2018-19.
The top importers for this product in the world are given below, alongside the value of the product imported in 2020

Product Diversification is one of the most crucial product uplifting strategies which in turn is an important part of a product’s export. Currently, only the pulses are being sold directly in the market. Knowing the high demand of the product an initiative can be made for product diversification to manufacture value added products such as Namkeen, podis, halwas powder, ladoos, combined with cereal-based ingredients (i.e. wheat, rice, oats), etc With adequate upgradation of technology in the cluster the farmers/ millers can sell by-products and generate additional income by manufacturing by-products from broken pulses.