Is India Becoming an Import-Dependent Country for Pulses Too?
05-Jul-2025 12:21 PM
Is India Becoming an Import-Dependent Country for Pulses Too?
★ Imports Jumped from 8% to 27% in Just 5 Years—Are We Repeating Mistake s?
★ A close look at the government’s production and import data reveals a concerning trend: in 2020-21, India’s total pulse imports accounted for just 8% of domestic production. However, by 2024-25, that figure has jumped to 27%. In just five years, the share of imports has more than tripled.
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Is the Pulses Sector Headed the Same Way as Edible Oils?
★ This situation mirrors what happened in the edible oil sector post-1990.
★ Before 1990, India produced around 70% of its edible oil needs domestically. But once imports were placed under the Open General Licence (OGL), imports soared to 65%. Today, India is the world’s largest importer of edible oils.
★ Now, the same threat looms over pulses.
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Farmers Not Getting Fair Prices
★ With rising imports, domestic pulse prices are under pressure. Farmers are finding pulse cultivation less profitable and are gradually shifting to other crops. This has resulted in unstable and stagnant domestic production.
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Disruption Across the Value Chain
★ There is often an argument that ensuring cheap pulses for consumers is a priority. But what is often overlooked is that farmers, processors, traders, and wholesalers are all part of the same supply chain—and they are consumers too.
★ When one link in the chain is weakened, the entire system is destabilized.
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Will Self-Sufficiency Remain Just a Slogan?
★ Unless farmers are assured of fair prices and policy support, self-sufficiency in pulses will remain a distant dream—something that sounds good but is not grounded in reality.
★ The current trend in the pulses sector is a serious warning sign.
★ If the government fails to take timely steps such as increasing production, ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP), and promoting domestic processing, India may soon become a heavy importer of pulses—just like it did with edible oils—where prices and policies are dictated by global markets.
★ Is India ready to repeat this mistake? Or will we learn from history and move toward true self-reliance?
★ The rising import numbers are already answering that question.