Efforts will be made to increase the production of pulses through assured purchase

03-Feb-2025 07:49 PM

The government's decision to purchase the entire marketable quantity of Urad, Tuvar, and Masur from farmers is an important step toward increasing domestic pulse production.

This policy aims to incentivize farmers by offering them the assurance of a stable and guaranteed market through agencies like NAFED and NCCF. By ensuring that these pulses are purchased at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), it could provide farmers with more financial security and motivate them to grow more pulses.

The need for such measures is evident given India's rising dependency on pulse imports, which have surged in recent years.

The import cost of pulses reaching $3.78 billion in 2024, a sharp increase from 2023, reflects this growing reliance on foreign sources.

Additionally, the fact that imported pulses accounted for nearly a quarter of the total consumption in India is concerning, especially in terms of the drain on foreign currency.

However, as you've pointed out, the government's policies may not be fully aligned with achieving self-sufficiency.

While imports are still allowed freely for five key pulses, this continued importation might undermine domestic production efforts.

Strengthening policies to support local farmers—perhaps by improving access to technology, fertilizers, and better irrigation systems—could also be critical to boosting production and reducing reliance on imports.

Do you think the government's purchase policy will be enough to increase pulse production, or are there other changes that need to be made to achieve long-term self-sufficiency?