The increasing area of ​​pulses has raised hopes of self-sufficiency, this is the government's target in five years

The central government has set a target of becoming self-sufficient in the matter of pulses in the next five years, which does not seem possible looking at the ratio of production and consumption. The government's resolve and the increasing inclination of farmers towards pulse cultivation have raised hopes. The Center has started a six-year campaign to reduce imports to zero. The target is to end dependence on imports by 2029.

The Effort to Eliminate Dependence on Imports by 2029 is Difficult, but Continues

Self-sufficiency has been achieved in gram and moong.

New Delhi: The central government has set a target of becoming self-sufficient in pulses in the next five years, which does not seem possible looking at the ratio of production and consumption. Still, the government's resolve and the increasing inclination of farmers towards pulse cultivation have raised hopes. The center has started a six-year campaign to reduce imports to zero.

An amount of Rs 1000 crore has been arranged in the budget, through which arrangements have to be made for purchase and storage to increase the production of pigeon pea, black gram, and lentil. The target is to end dependence on imports by 2029. It is difficult, but efforts are on.

Self-Sufficiency Has Been Achieved in Gram and Moong

The government claims that self-sufficiency has been achieved in gram and moong. Work has to be done on increasing the production of pigeon pea, black gram, and lentil. For this, farmers will have to be encouraged and given resources. In the first attempt, it has been decided to buy the entire produce of pigeon pea, black gram, and lentil. Earlier, only 40 percent of the total produce could be sold.

The Supply of Pulses Will Increase in the Market

Farmers will benefit from the new rule and the supply of pulses in the market will increase. Availability of improved and hybrid seeds will also have to be made easy. Import policy will also have to be made favorable. The Agriculture Ministry reports that the production of pulses has increased by 60 percent in a decade. During this period, government procurement has also increased 18 times. Production has increased from 171 lakh tonnes in 2014 to 270 lakh tonnes in 2024. The area also increased by 2.7 percent in a year.

Dependence on Imports for About 25 Percent of Domestic Consumption

Despite adverse weather, this time the production is expected to be 2.5% higher. In 1951, the area under pulses cultivation in India was only 190 lakh hectares, which has now increased to 310 lakh hectares. Production has also increased, but it is true that there is dependence on imports for about 25% of domestic consumption. It is clear that along with increasing the area, it is also necessary to increase productivity.

Lagging Behind in Productivity

In comparison to other countries, the productivity of pulses in India is quite low. In Canada, about 1910 kg of pulses are produced in one hectare and in America, 1900 kg of pulses are produced. China also produces 1821 kg of pulses per hectare, but in India only 700 kg is produced. If we succeed in increasing productivity along with area, then the stigma of being an importing country can be removed.

Availability of Pulses is Decreasing

After independence, there was an emphasis on food security, which encouraged wheat and rice cultivation. In 1950, the area under pulses was almost double that of wheat, but in the effort to provide wheat and rice to the large population, pulse crops were left behind. A time came when we had to depend on imports. Now, as the area and production of pulses increase, the number of consumers increases more than that.

Due to this, the availability of pulses per person kept decreasing. In 1951, the per capita consumption of pulses was 22.1 kg per year, which has now reduced to 16 kg. Although in the intervening years, the consumption figures have improved due to awareness about nutrition, otherwise in 2010, the availability per person was only 12.9 kg.

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