Centre draws five-year plan to increase pulse production to 24 million tonnes by 2021

New Delhi: Seeking to reduce India's dependence on imports to meet domestic demand of pulses, the Centre has drawn up a five-year roadmap to increase pulse production from nearly 17.06 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 24 million tonnes in 2020-21 through a dedicated action plan.

The aim of this plan, with a six-pronged strategy, is to increase production consistently by raising yield (production per hectare) as well as area under pulse crops in all major pulse-producing states including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

"A group, constituted for enhancement of pulse production, has brought out a five-year roadmap to achieve a production target of 24 million tonnes by 2020-21," agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh said. Though pulse production touched a high of 19.25 million tonnes (MT) during 2013-14, it declined to 17.15 MT in 2014-15 and further to 17.06 MT in 2015-16. The strategies under the action plan include setting up 150 seed hubs across the country, providing incentive to seed growers, strengthening bio-fertiliser and bio-agent labs, distribution of seed mini-kits, enhancing breeder seed production and demonstration of improved crop production technologies.

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