The Finance Minister has announced in the 2025-26 Union Budget, the launch of a six-year ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in Pulses’.

Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses

• Budget Allocation: ₹1,000 crore allocated for the mission.
• Objectives:
  • Achieve self-reliance in pulses production.
  • Provide MSP-based procurement and post-harvest warehousing solutions.
  • Reduce dependence on imports.

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Key Features of the Mission

• MSP-Based Procurement: NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) and NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India) will procure pulses from farmers who register and enter into agreements.
  • Aim: Ensure fair prices for farmers and stabilize market prices.
• Post-Harvest Warehousing: Focus on reducing post-harvest losses and improving storage infrastructure.
• Targeted Crops:
  • Tur/Arhar: Traditionally a long-duration crop (250-270 days), now reduced to 150-180 days with lower yields (from 20 quintals/hectare to 15-16 quintals/hectare).
  • Urad: Black gram, a key pulse crop.
  • Masoor: Red lentil, with record imports in recent years.

Trend in Pulses Imports

• 2017-18 to 2022-23: Imports declined, reaching a low of 24.96 lt in 2022-23.
  • This period marked relative self-reliance in pulses, especially for matar (yellow/white peas) and chana (chickpea).
• 2023-24: Imports surged to 47.38 lt ($3.75 billion) due to drought.
  • Masoor imports hit a record 16.76 lt, and matar imports also increased.
• April-November 2024: India’s pulses imports were valued at  $3.28 billion, 56.6% higher than the $2.09 billion for the corresponding period of 2023.
• 2024-25 (Current Fiscal): Imports have already touched 40 lt, with tur/arhar crossing 10 lt for the first time and matar reaching a seven-year high.
• Projection for 2024-25: At this rate, imports for the fiscal year could reach $5.9 billion, surpassing the previous all-time-high of $4.24 billion in 2016-17.

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Key Drivers of Rising Imports

• Domestic Shortfall: Drought in 2023-24 led to a decline in domestic production, increasing reliance on imports.
  • Production dropped to 242.46 lt in 2023-24 from 260.58 lt in 2022-23.
• Policy Decisions: 
  • Duty-Free Imports: The government allowed duty-free imports of pulses like tur/arhar, masoor, and urad, which discouraged domestic production.
  • Price Disparity: Domestic prices of pulses like tur/arhar are close to MSP, reducing farmers’ incentive to grow these crops.
• Global Market Dependence: India imports pulses from countries like Mozambique, Tanzania, Myanmar, Canada, and Australia.
  • Tur/Arhar: Mainly imported from Mozambique, Tanzania, and Myanmar.
  • Masoor: Imported from Canada, Russia, and Turkey.
  • Matar: Imported from Canada, Russia, and Turkey.

Impact of Rising Imports

• Economic Burden: Rising imports lead to foreign exchange outflow and increase the trade deficit.
• Farmers’ Disincentive: Duty-free imports and low domestic prices discourage farmers from growing pulses.
• Food Security Concerns: Over-reliance on imports makes India vulnerable to global price fluctuations and supply chain disruptions.

Government Response

• Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses:
  • Aims to reduce imports by boosting domestic production of tur/arhar, urad, and masoor.
  • Focus on MSP-based procurement and post-harvest infrastructure.
• Policy Reforms: Need to restore import duties to incentivize domestic production.
• MSP Procurement: Significant MSP-based procurement of chana (25.56 lt in 2022-23) and moong (4.08 lt in 2022-23).
• Research and Development: Focus on developing short-duration, high-yielding, and climate-resilient varieties of pulses.
  • Emphasis on photo-thermo insensitive varieties to enable year-round cultivation.
• National Food Security Mission (NFSM): It was launched in 2007-08 to increase the production of rice, wheat and pulses through area expansion and productivity enhancement.

Challenges in Achieving Aatmanirbharta

• Agronomic Limitations:
  • Tur/Arhar: Despite reduction in duration (150-180 days), yields remain low (15-16 quintals/hectare).
  • Cultivation is confined to rainfed regions like Marathwada-Vidarbha (Maharashtra) and northern Karnataka, where farmers have fewer alternative cropping options.
• Policy Ambiguity:
  • Duty-Free Imports: The government has allowed duty-free imports of tur/arhar and other pulses, which discourages domestic production.
  • Price Disparity: Tur/arhar prices in markets (₹7,300-7,400/quintal) are close to MSP (₹7,550/quintal), reducing farmers’ incentive to grow pulses.
• Climate Vulnerability:
  • Pulses are often grown in rainfed areas, making them susceptible to drought and climate variability.
• Competition from Other Crops:
  • Farmers prefer water-intensive crops like sugarcane and cereals over pulses due to higher profitability.

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Way Forward

• Hybrid Development: Need for tur/arhar hybrids maturing in 140-150 days with yields of 18-20 quintals/hectare.
• Policy Reforms: Restore import duties to incentivize domestic production.
  • Provide subsidies and insurance for pulse cultivation in rainfed areas.
• Farmer Awareness: Promote pulses as a sustainable and profitable crop option.

Conclusion

The Mission for Atma Nirbharta in Pulses is a significant step toward reducing India’s dependence on imports. However, achieving self-reliance in pulses requires addressing agronomic challenges, policy ambiguities, and climate vulnerabilities. The success of the mission will depend on effective implementation, technological advancements, and farmer-centric policies.

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