India is now gradually becoming self-reliant (Atmanirbharta) in pulses, with a report of NITI Aayog Strategies and Pathways to Accelerate Growth in Pulses providing the roadmap. The country is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world but still imports part of what it needs. The new strategy presents a national plan to decrease the reliance on imports, increase the productivity, and assure both nutritional and economic demands.
Present position of Pulse production.
India registered a 26.06 million tonnes of pulses production in 2022-23, which is a 59.4% rise compared to production in the year 2015-16 when it had declined to 16.35 million tonnes. The level of import dependency has reduced drastically to 10.4% compared to 29 percent. Mostly, pulses are grown in rain-fed areas where they provide employment to more than five crore farmers. Over half of the national output is concentrated in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Production Targets.
NITI Aayog has placed high targets:
- By 2030: 34.45 million tonnes (self-sufficiency objective)
- By 2047: 51.57 million tonnes (production doubled)
It is even projected that India might become a net exporter of pulse with surpluses of 3.79 million tonnes and 16.48 million tonnes by the years 2030 and 2047 respectively.
Cluster-based Cultivation Model.
One of the recommendations is the One Block, One Seed Village model in 111 identified districts. Such a strategy encourages specializing in crops, seed banks, and involvement of farmers. The model has the advantage of enhancing the quality and yield level of the seeds, as well as, the local agronomic activities, with the advantage of having an efficient utilization of the resources.
Technology-Driven Growth
The report emphasizes the use of high yielding varieties, precision farming, better irrigation and management of soil health. The technology packages will be agro-climatic zone specific and thus the cultivation practices will be local and sustainable.
Climate-Smart Agriculture
The plan advocates the use of drought-resistant varieties, integrated pest management, and contingency crops in order to deal with climate challenges. Such practices increase the resilience and protect farmers against losses in yields due to unpredictable weather.
Data-Backed Governance
According to NITI Aayog, real-time monitoring using AI and satellite information is required. This will assist in predicting the shortages, monitoring productivity, and evidence-based policymaking. A system like this also has the potential of enhancing responsiveness of the market and improve resource allocation.
Promoting Consumption
Introduction of production will be accompanied by the effort to enhance consumption according to the ICMR-NIN nutrition guidelines. Dietary diversity, nutrition and food security will be supported by public awareness campaigns and incorporation of pulses in government food schemes.
Conclusion
The pulse production strategy of India is a mixture of technology, climate resilience, cluster farming and data-driven governance. The country has clear targets and interventions that are farmer-centered, and as such is well-placed not just to become self-sufficient by 2030 but also become a global pulses leader and exporter by 2047.