Centre targets 32-million tonne pulses production by 2030

The Centre is eyeing to further boost pulse production in the country and is targeting an output of 32 million tonnes by 2030 from the current level of around 24 million tonnes.

At the inaugural address of the third National Pulses Seminar organised by the India Pulses and Grains Association on the World Pulses Day on Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said: “Between 2017 and 2019, pulse production in India increased by 23 per cent. By 2030, we aspire to increase domestic pulses production to 320 lakhtonnes. We clearly have a demand for pulses, and both the government and farmers are working hard to meet it.”

At a separate event, Tomar stated that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call, the dependence on imports of pulses has reduced and the country is saving more than ₹15,000 crore per year. In the last five-six years, due to the tireless hard work of farmers, scientists and farmer-friendly policies of the Central government, the country has increased its pulses production from 140 lakh tonnes to 240 lakh tonnes, he claimed. In six years, the MSP of pulses has been increased by 40 per cent to 73 per cent, he said.

The government is also looking to create a buffer of pulses for 2020-21. The Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry has proposed to create a buffer stock of 10 lakh tonnes of pulses including tur , urad and gram, informed Leena Nandan, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

Attributing the successful implementation of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) (of distributing free pulses to poor during and after the Covid-19 lockdown) to the pulses buffer stock, she said that during the April-November period, about 15 lakh tonnes of pulses were provided free of cost to about 20 crore beneficiary households.

In her address to the seminar, Nandan said that in the first phase of PMGKY, pulses were provided based on the State preference, while the next phase of the programme during July-November focussed on chana distribution to States for their welfare schemes.

“We could do this because we had this large quantity of pulses buffer. We propose to continue to maintain this buffer. For 2021-22, we have asked the Agriculture Department to procure about 10 lakh tonnes of pulses from farmers and FPOs (farmer producer organisations) across the country. It will include tur , urad and gram to be used for Central and State welfare schemes.”