NITI Aayog lays out a blueprint to make India self-sufficient in pulses

NITI Aayog has proposed adoption of a multifaceted technique specializing in worth addition and lowering post-harvest losses in pulses, increasing the world underneath pulse cultivation and enhancing productiveness to assist India cut back pulses import and change into self-sufficient.“Attaining self-sufficiency in pulse manufacturing is essential for India's meals safety and soil well being,” the Aayog mentioned in its report ‘Methods and Pathways for Accelerating Development In Pulses In direction of the Aim of Atmanirbharta', launched on Thursday.
The Aayog's coverage roadmap to attain self-sufficiency in pulses is consistent with the federal government's intent to give you the Pulse Mission introduced in Funds 2025-26.
The Pulse Mission, which is a six-year authorities initiative with a Rs 1,000 crore allocation to attain self-reliance in pulses, goals to spice up home manufacturing, particularly of tur, urad, and masoor, by guaranteeing minimum support prices (MSP) for farmers, offering post-harvest storage options, and selling climate-resilient seeds.

In keeping with the Aayog's report, by implementing these methods successfully, India can considerably increase home pulse manufacturing, doubtlessly growing whole pulse manufacturing by 20.10 MT.

“This substantial enhance can't solely have the potential to mitigate the present import dependency of 4.739 MT but additionally tackle the projected demand hole of 15.74 MT by 2030 (i.e., essentially the most demanding situation) and set up India as a self-sufficient nation within the pulse sector,” it mentioned.In 2024-25, pulses import stood at a file excessive of over 6.5 MT.As a part of the coverage roadmap, the Aayog has proposed retention of space underneath pulses cultivation whereas additionally diversification of manufacturing to one-third of the whole rice fallow space throughout ten states. “It will possibly considerably improve home manufacturing with estimates suggesting a possible enhance of as much as 2.85 MT in pulse output,” it mentioned.

Additional, it has proposed utilizing prime quality seeds, strengthening farmer producer organisations (FPOs), value help and market interventions and integrating pulses into the general public distribution system.

The Aayog, by the report, made a case for the function of pulses in attaining zero starvation. “Preserving in view the widespread under-and malnutrition amongst girls and kids in India, to attain the goal of zero starvation and good well being and effectively being prescribed in sustainable growth objectives (SDG), it's obligatory to offer pulses to all of the poor households at inexpensive costs,” it added.