News: The Union Cabinet has recently approved the National Pulses Mission.
About National Pulses Mission
- It is a six-year national initiative to boost domestic production of pulses, reduce import dependency, and achieve self-sufficiency.
- Aim: To achieve self-reliance in pulses by 2030-31.
- Objectives:
- It seeks to reduce India’s dependence on imports and conserve valuable foreign exchange.
- It intends to meet the rising domestic demand for pulses through increased production and ensure better incomes for farmers.
- It promotes sustainable, climate-resilient, and soil health–friendly agricultural practices.
- It aims to generate rural employment through production and processing activities in both farming and post-harvest processing sectors.
- The Mission will converge with the Soil Health Programme, Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization, balanced fertilizer use, and plant protection initiatives, supported by ICAR, KVKs, and State Departments.
- The Mission will also establish a mechanism to monitor global pulse prices to safeguard farmer confidence and prevent distress sales.
- Features of the Mission
- A cluster-based approach will be adopted to tailor interventions according to the needs of each cluster to ensure effective resource allocation and geographic diversification.
- Assured procurement of Tur, Urad, and Masoor will be carried out under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) of PM-AASHA, with NAFED and NCCF undertaking 100% procurement in participating states for the next four years from registered farmers.
- The mission will adopt a comprehensive strategy, covering research, seed systems, area expansion, procurement, and price stability.
- Research will focus on developing high-yielding, pest-resistant, and climate-resilient varieties of pulses, with multi-location trials across major pulse-growing states to ensure regional suitability.
- States will prepare five-year rolling seed production plans and ICAR will supervise breeder seed production.
- Foundation and certified seed production will be carried out by state and central agencies, and monitored through the SATHI (Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory) portal.
- A total of 126 lakh quintals of certified seeds will be distributed to farmers, covering 370 lakh hectares by 2030-31.
- The Mission will expand the area under pulses to 310 lakh hectares by 2030-31, targeting rice fallows and diversifiable lands.
- 88 lakh seed kits will be distributed free of cost to farmers to promote intercropping and diversification
- Structured training programmes will be conducted for farmers and seed growers.
- 1,000 post-harvest processing units will be set up to reduce losses and improve value addition, with a maximum subsidy of ₹25 lakh available for establishing processing and packaging units.
