Little incentive to grow pulses

Self-sufficiency in pulses, the major source of protein for most Indians, has been the much-cherished, yet consistently elusive, goal for decades.

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Self-sufficiency in pulses, the major source of protein for most Indians, has been the much-cherished, yet consistently elusive, goal for decades.The dependence on imports to meet the requirements of pulses has, in fact, tended to accentuate despite ceaseless endeavour to bridge, or at least reduce, the demand-supply gap.

Even in the recent years, import has risen from 2.6 million tonnes in 2020-21 to 4.7 million tonnes in 2023-24. In 2024-25, shipment from abroad is estimated to have surged exorbitantly to a record 7 million tonnes.

Systematic efforts to attain aat-manirbharta (self-reliance) in these nutritious legumes had begun way back in 1966 with the launching of the all-India coordinated research project on pulses, and are still ongoing without making the requisite headway. The overall output of pulses has, no doubt, witnessed some uptick of late, but the extent of increase has not been able to match the fast-growing demand. As a result, per capita availability has declined from 54.4 gm per head per day in 2017 to 43.6 gm now. This is around half the needed intake of 85 gm per day, as recommended by the National Institute of Nutrition.