Pulse mission to lift output, buffer soon

Nafed to encourage pulses farming, assure purchases in scheme

- Puja Das

The Union government is crafting a scheme to boost domestic production of pulses with a focus on select states, at a time when erratic weather and more remunerative crops have prompted many farmers to shift away from the kitchen staples.

The Bharat Dal Utpadan Swaylamban Abhiyan, or the Indian mission for self-sufficiency in pulse production, will aim to lift production, meet buffer norms and end import dependency, a government official aware of the plan said. The scheme, which will debut at a time of falling production and rising imports of pulses, will focus primarily on Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana and Karnataka.

The government has decided to appoint the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) as the primary implementing agency for the scheme, the official cited above said on condition of anonymity. The agency may pre-register farmers to buy their entire produce, in an attempt to raise tur output by 1.2 million tonnes (mt) and masur output by 500,000 tonnes. Currently, the buffer requirement for tur is 1mt and for masur is 500,000 tonnes; the government aims to achieve buffer stocks of 800,000 tonnes of tur and 400,000 tonnes of masur once the scheme is established, the official said.