Government's eyes on achieving self-sufficiency in pulses production

24-Jul-2024 01:29 PM

New Delhi. The government has expressed its intention to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of pulses in the general budget of 2024-25.

The Union Finance Minister said in his budget speech that to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds, the government will strengthen its production, storage and marketing aspect. Although India is the leading country of pulses in the world, it also remains the largest importer and consumer.

Pulses are a major source of protein for a large part of the country's population. India's import expenditure on pulses almost doubled to $3.74 billion during 2023-24 as compared to the financial year 2022-23 as domestic production declined significantly due to adverse weather in major producing areas. Welcoming the budget announcement,

the chairman of India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), a leading organization, said that the Pulses Mission should focus on increasing the yield rate and production of pulses to achieve self-sufficiency. Pulses are cultivated in a large area in the country,

but due to very low productivity, its total production remains far behind the expected level. To increase the yield rate, focus should be on improving the quality of seeds and this can be possible through better and integrated research.

The yield rate of pulses in India is very low, to increase which there is a need to increase the scope of cultivation of high productivity seeds. With the increase in the yield rate, the income of farmers will also increase. 

Recently, the government had announced an increase in the minimum support price of Kharif pulses. Along with this, the Union Agriculture Minister had said that the government is committed to purchasing tur, urad and masoor from farmers at the minimum support price. 

The Economic Survey report says that India is regularly going through a phase of shortage in the case of pulses and hence there is an environment of price rise and fall.

The production of pulses is limited to only a few states and districts of the country, while the crop is often affected by natural disasters and pests and diseases.

More efforts are needed to increase the sowing area. Cultivation of pigeon pea, black gram and lentil should be started in more and more districts and special attention should be paid to increasing its productivity.