In the Union budget for 2025-26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a plan to boost pulse production in India over the next six years. This mission aims to make the country self-sufficient in pulses, focusing on important types like tur (pigeon pea), urad (black gram), and masoor (yellow lentils).
The government plans to develop stronger seeds that can handle changing weather, provide good prices for farmers, and improve ways to store and manage these crops after harvest. Sitharaman emphasized that central agencies will buy as much of these pulses as farmers are willing to sell, encouraging them to sign agreements with these agencies.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been given the goal to make India stop relying on pulse imports by 2029. Home Minister Amit Shah had previously announced that India should not import any pulses by 2028-29. He stated that by December 2027, India should become self-reliant in pulses.
Despite a 37% increase in domestic pulse production since 2015-16, prices remained high due to extreme weather conditions that affected production in the last two years. Last year, pulse prices rose by nearly 17%, leading to higher costs for families. Experts warn that rising prices can lead to inflation and raise household expenses.
Many farmers reported that they did not get fair prices for their pulse crops, and last year, India’s pulse imports increased by 84%, costing the country $3.75 billion. Most of these imports came from countries like Canada and Australia.
To achieve self-sufficiency, the government plans to create model pulse villages and use unused land for pulse farming. They will set up 150 centers to distribute better seeds and work with research centers to develop seeds that can resist tough weather.
Since 2014, the government has made efforts to increase pulse production to cut down on imports. This has helped improve productivity significantly, but farmers still face challenges from bad weather. Experts believe the government must encourage farmers to grow different types of pulses to avoid dependence on imports
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