Pulses Production: NITI Aayog’s Plan for Self-Sufficiency

NITI Aayog released its report “Strategies and Pathways for Accelerating Growth in Pulses towards the Goal of Atmanirbharta”.

• The report highlights the centrality of pulses in India’s food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and farmer livelihoods, while providing a roadmap to achieve self-reliance.

Current Status of Pulses in India

• Largest producer, consumer & importer: India is the largest producer (25% of global production), consumer (27% of world consumption) and importer (14%) of pulses in the world.
• Nutritional role: Pulses are the cheapest source of plant protein, vital for combating malnutrition.
• Livelihood role: Over 5 crore farmers and families depend on pulses, especially in rainfed and marginal areas.
• Production pattern: Nearly 80% is rainfed, hence vulnerable to climate variability.
• Regional Concentration: Production is regionally concentrated, with Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan contributing about 55%, and the top 10 States accounting for over 91% of national output
  • Implication: Heavy reliance on few states makes production regionally skewed and climate-sensitive.
• Recent progress:
  • Production rose from 16.35 MT in 2015–16 to 26.06 MT in 2022–23 (+59.4%).
  • Productivity increased by 38% due to improved varieties and government schemes.
  • Import dependence declined from 29% (2015–16) to 10.4% (2022–23).

NITI Aayog’s Recommendations

• Strategic Framework: Report lays out a comprehensive strategic framework to bridge the projected demand-supply gap, ensuring long-term sustainability of pulse production, anchored on two core pillars:
  1. Horizontal Expansion: Aimed at increasing the area under pulses through utilizing untapped land resources like rice fallow lands for high-yielding pulse crops and efficient intercropping
  2. Vertical Expansion: Focused on enhancing yields through improved farming practices, and technology-led interventions. 
     • These include the adoption of improved varieties and hybrids, seed treatment and quality assurance, value addition through processing, timely and scientific sowing practices, as well as integrated approaches to nutrient, pest, weed, and water management. 
• ‘District-wise quadrant approach’ : Identification of district clusters to implement crop-specific interventions.
  • Targeted resource allocation for high-potential zones.

• Area retention & diversification: Ensure farmers don’t shift away from pulses due to price volatility. Encouraging region-specific crop clusters to optimise cultivation.

• Customized technologies: Agro-ecological sub-regions to have tailored practices
  • For Example: Drought-resistant varieties in arid regions
• Seed strategy: Focusing on high-quality seed treatment kits and ensuring widespread distribution, particularly in 111 high-potential districts that contribute 75% of national output.
• Cluster approach: “One Block – One Seed Village” supported by FPOs to strengthen local seed systems.
• Climate adaptation: Promote varieties resilient to heat, drought, and erratic rainfall.
• Data-driven monitoring: Real-time decision-support systems for farmers and policymakers.

Significance of the Report

• Food security: Meets rising protein demand of India’s population.
• Farmer welfare: Supports marginal farmers in rainfed zones.
• Import substitution: Reduces foreign exchange outflow on pulse imports.
• Nutrition security: Key for addressing malnutrition & dietary protein gaps.
• Sustainability: Pulses improve soil fertility via nitrogen fixation, reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers, and are climate-friendly crops.
  

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