Due to farmers focusing more on paddy and wheat cultivation, production of other crops is less
12-May-2025 06:19 PM
New Delhi. The central government, concerned about the large-scale import of pulses and edible oils and the high expenditure involved, is making every effort to boost domestic production of these crops.
As part of this initiative, it plans to reduce the area under paddy cultivation by 50 lakh hectares in the upcoming Kharif season and replace it with pulses and oilseeds.
However, this is a challenging task, as Indian farmers remain strongly attached to paddy cultivation and are reluctant to reduce its area.
The government estimates that if the paddy area is reduced by 50 lakh hectares, it could result in an additional production of 100 lakh tonnes of pulses and oilseeds, assuming an average yield of 2000 kg per hectare. This would help reduce the country’s dependence on imports.
The central government procures a significant amount of paddy every year at the minimum support price (MSP), which serves as a legal guarantee and is essential for maintaining national food security.
Farmers are confident that their paddy will be purchased at the MSP, and regular hikes in the MSP have only increased their interest in cultivating it.
Paddy is cultivated extensively in states such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It is possibly the only crop grown in all states and union territories.
While the MSP for pulses and oilseeds has increased significantly over the last decade, leading to some improvement in their production, government procurement remains a concern.
Most farmers are forced to sell these crops at fluctuating open market prices. Procurement at MSP is limited and inconsistent.
Although the government has promised to purchase 100% of tur, urad, and masoor at MSP, the market for other pulses remains uncertain.
Similarly, while procurement of oilseeds increased during the last Kharif and Rabi seasons, many farmers were still compelled to sell below MSP.
Given this situation, farmers are unlikely to shift away from paddy unless the government offers significant incentives and assurance of stable procurement.