Pulses Production Target: Govt Aims for 40% Increase

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said the government has set a target to increase pulses production by 40 per cent to 350 lakh tonne by 2030-31 crop year.

Recently, the Union Cabinet approved a six-year central scheme aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in pulses production, with a financial outlay of Rs 11,440 crore.

The 'Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses' will be for the period from 2025-26 to 2030-31.

Addressing a press conference here, the minister said the pulses production would be increased over the next six years by increasing the area under coverages as well as raising the crop productivity.

He exuded the confidence that the target would be met. He also assured that the government would take appropriate decisions related to import duties of pulses for safeguarding the interests of farmers.

Chouhan said the government has identified 100 blocks where the productivity is very low compared with the national average.

"We are not self-sufficient in pulses so far," Chouhan pointed out.

He highlighted that India is the world's largest producer, but it is also the biggest consumer. The country has to import a large quantity of pulses to meet domestic demand.

The minister said that the pulses mission aims to boost production and make India self-sufficient.

"By 2030-31, we will increase the pulses acreage to 310 lakh hectares from the current 275 lakh hectares. We have also kept the target to increase pulses output to 350 lakh tonnes from 242 lakh tonnes in 2023-24," Chouhan said.

In the 2024-25 crop year (July-June), the pulses production is estimated to have risen to 252.38 lakh tonnes.

Chouhan said the crop productivity would be enhanced to 1,130 kg per hectare from the average yield of 881 kg per hectare.

The mission, announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in this year's budget, will particularly focus on increasing production of tur, urad and masur, with assured procurement by government agencies National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd (NCCF) from registered farmers.

Under the mission, Chouhan said the Centre would promote high-yielding and disease-tolerant seed varieties to enhance productivity and production of pulses.

The government would also ensure that these seeds are made available to farmers on time, he added.