New Delhi, June 29 -- Urad production is likely to come under further pressure in the current kharif season, for the fifth consecutive year, due to delayed monsoon and competition from alternative crops discouraging farmers from expanding acreage, according to industry experts. They also predicted that lower urad output would increase import dependency to a historic high. Latest government data shows that the area under urad cultivation was down nearly 40% year-on-year as of June 19. "The multi-year drop in urad acreage stems from a mix of climate vulnerabilities and unfavourable economic risks for farmers," said Ajay Kedia, research head at Kedia Advisory. "Urad is highly vulnerable to moisture stress. Over the past few years, erratic mons...