India's Push for Self-Sufficiency: Centre's Bold Plan for Pulse Production

In an effort to boost domestic pulse production and reduce dependence on imports, India's Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announces a series of reforms, including procurement at minimum support prices and new farming initiatives. State ministers express optimism, citing better monsoon forecasts.

In a decisive move to elevate domestic pulse production and minimize import reliance, the Centre has pledged to procure tur, urad, and masur at Minimum Support Prices (MSP), Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared on Friday. This strategic initiative is designed to spur crop diversification and attain self-sufficiency in pulse production by 2027.

Presiding over a virtual meeting with state agriculture ministers, Chouhan spotlighted the launch of the e-Samridhi portal through cooperatives NAFED and NCCF aimed at farmer registration. 'We urge state governments to motivate more farmers to register on this platform to benefit from assured procurement,' he emphasized.

Chouhan applauded states for increasing pulse production by 50 per cent since 2015-16 but demanded further efforts to boost yield per hectare, according to an official statement. He noted a significant reduction in pulse import dependency from 30% to 10% in the past decade, achieving self-sufficiency in moong and chana.

Key initiatives revealed include the New Model Pulses Village scheme to be launched in the current Kharif season, utilizing fallow lands post-rice harvest for pulse cultivation, and promoting tur inter-cropping vigorously. Another critical measure is the establishment of 150 Pulse Seed Hubs for quality seed supply, along with the development of climate-resilient and short-duration crop varieties. Stressing the importance of crop diversification towards cash crops and soil fertility restoration, Chouhan urged states to enhance their seed delivery systems and state seed corporations.

The meeting saw participation from state agriculture ministers of key pulse-producing states such as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, who pledged cooperation and were optimistic about meeting production targets, given forecasts of above-normal monsoon rains.

The Union Minister has invited state agriculture ministers to Delhi for an in-depth discussion on agricultural scenarios and a collective approach to address prevailing issues. The session also included Union Ministers of State for Agriculture Ram Nath Thakur and Bhagirath Chaudhary, Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja, and ICAR Director General Himanshu Pathak.

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