New Delhi. The Central Government has taken a big step towards making the country self-reliant in the production of pulses. Under the National Pulses Self-Reliance Mission (2025-31), the government has implemented a comprehensive plan to increase pulses production, improve farmers’ income and reduce dependence on imports. In this mission, special emphasis has been laid on providing farmers the benefit of modern technology, quality seeds, financial assistance, procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and processing facilities.
Farmers will get financial assistance and modern training
Under the mission, farmers will be encouraged to adopt improved cultivation of pulses. The government is working on a scheme to provide assistance up to Rs 10,000 per hectare to farmers along with training them in modern agricultural techniques. Its objective is to reduce production costs and make farming more profitable.
Pulses will be cultivated on 35 lakh hectares of additional land
The government has made a strategy of land expansion on a large scale to increase pulses production. Cultivation of pulses will be promoted in about 35 lakh hectares of additional area by identifying land left vacant after paddy harvesting (Rice Fallow) and other suitable areas. Apart from this, farmers will also be motivated to adopt techniques like intercropping and crop diversification, so that better production and income can be obtained from the same field.
88 lakh farmers will get advanced seed kits
Quality seeds are most important for better production. Keeping this in mind, the government has set a target of producing and distributing 126 lakh quintals of certified seeds. Along with this, 88 lakh free improved seed kits will be provided to the farmers. Climate-friendly and high-yielding varieties will be promoted, while seeds will be monitored through the SATHI portal to ensure quality and transparency.
Procurement will be done on MSP under PM-AASHA
The procurement system has also been strengthened to protect pulses farmers from market price fluctuations. The government has decided that major pulse crops like tur (arhar), urad and masoor will be procured at minimum support price (MSP) under the PM-AASHA scheme. For the next four years, agencies like NAFED and NCCF will purchase directly from farmers, which will increase the chances of farmers getting a fair price for their produce.
Big goals set for 2030-31
The government has set many important targets under this mission till the year 2030-31. These include increasing the area of pulse cultivation to 310 lakh hectares, taking the total production to 350 lakh tonnes and increasing the average productivity to 1,130 kg per hectare. Through these targets, efforts will be made to meet the country’s demand for pulses through domestic production.
1,000 processing units will boost rural economy
Not only increasing production, but also preventing crop wastage and providing better markets to farmers is part of this mission. For this, a plan has been made to set up 1,000 pulses processing and packaging units across the country. The government will provide a subsidy of up to Rs 25 lakh per unit for the establishment of these units. This will also create new employment opportunities in rural areas and help farmers get better prices for their produce.
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