In a major push towards self-reliance in pulses, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a six-year mission in the Union Budget 2025-26 to boost domestic production, with a special focus on tur (pigeon pea), urad (black gram), and masoor (yellow lentils).
The initiative will focus on developing climate-resilient seeds, ensuring fair prices for farmers, and improving post-harvest management and storage. Sitharaman emphasized that central agencies would procure these pulses for the next four years from registered farmers under formal agreements.
The mission aligns with the government’s goal of ending India’s reliance on pulse imports by 2029. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been tasked with achieving this target, reinforcing a pledge made by Home Minister Amit Shah last year to halt all pulse imports by 2028.
With imports surging 84% year-on-year to 4.65 million tonnes in the last fiscal year, experts stress the need for remunerative prices and crop diversification to prevent shortages of certain varieties. Nearly 45% of pulse cultivators reported receiving lower-than-market prices for key crops, according to a 2018-19 government survey.
To boost production, the agriculture ministry plans to establish model pulse villages, bring fallow land under cultivation, and set up 150 seed distribution hubs. Collaboration with agricultural research bodies will further promote climate-resilient varieties, ensuring long-term sustainability and self-sufficiency.