Union Budget 2025-26: FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces ‘Mission for Pulses’ as import bills soar

While welcoming the government’s move, Ganesh Nanote, a husbandman from the colony of Nimbhara, successful Barshitakli taluka of Akola territory successful Maharashtra, said assured prices for pulses would promote growers.

Nanote, who is cultivating pulses connected 7 retired of his full 22 acres, said the contiguous mandi prices are astir Rs 6,000-6,500 per quintal. “This does not conscionable the accumulation costs – what we request is surety of prices. The authorities has talked astir procurement done its agencies. However, the prime parameters are highly tight. They should beryllium relooked,” helium said.

India’s pulses imports were valued astatine $3,275.25 cardinal during April-November 2024, a 56.6 per cent leap compared to the aforesaid play successful 2023. The country’s pulses imports fell from a highest of $4,243.13 cardinal successful 2016-17 to $1,943.89 cardinal successful 2022-23. But this was reversed successful 2023-24, with imports amounting to $3,746.78 million. The existent fiscal (2024-25) could spot pulses imports standard a caller all-time-high. Domestic pulse accumulation is inactive mostly rainfall-dependent. The mediocre 2023 monsoon led to little home accumulation and higher imports this year.

Grown mostly successful the rain-fed areas of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Rajasthan, pulses particularly tur endure from vagaries of nature. Lower-than-expected yields and debased prices person been large issues with pulse growers. India had reported 109.99 lakh hectares of pulse sowing country successful the harvest twelvemonth of 2024-25, which was a crisp driblet from the 274.94 lakh hectares of 2023-24. In the past 5 years, the largest acreage was reported successful 2021-22 erstwhile pulses were sown implicit 307.31 lakh hectares.

Keeping the spectre of clime alteration successful mind, the Mission has enactment its accent connected the improvement and commercialized availability of climate-resilient seeds, enhancing macromolecule content, expanding productivity, improving post-harvest retention and management, and assuring remunerative prices to farmers, noted experts.