Informist, Friday, Aug 9, 2024

NEW DELHI – Achieving self-sufficiency in the production of pulses could be a pipe-dream if the government continues with its current policies, which incentivises more paddy cultivation, eminent agriculture economist and Chair Professor for Agriculture at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations Ashok Gulati said today.

Far from achieving self-sufficiency in pulses by 2027, as per the government target, Gulati estimates annual imports of pulses could reach as high as 8-10 mln tn by 2030 if current policies remain in place. He was speaking at a press conference during the Bharat Dalhan Seminar in Delhi today.

Further, Gulati said India's consumption of pulses is increasing, and is estimated to rise to 40 mln tn by 2030 from 24-25 mln tn currently. In 2022-23, India produced 27.5 mln tn pulses.

While the overall pulses production is higher than the demand at the moment, the higher contribution of chana and moong to the pulses basket, and lower share of tur, urad, and masur prompts the government to import these in large quantity.

India imported 2.9 mln tn of masur, tur, and urad in 2023, an increase of almost 45% from the 2 mln tn imported the previous year. The surge in imports of these pulses can be attributed to lower production for two consecutive crop years, caused by unseasonal rainfall in October 2022 and deficient precipitation in major growing states during Jun-Sep last year.

Gulati said if farmers are given proper incentives to grow pulses in Punjab, it will not only reduce imports but also curb emission of greenhouse gases as a result of use of excessive fertilisers in rice fields. Gulati said estimates show that 39,000 rupees per ha is the total amount spent on subsidies by both state and central governments for paddy in the north Indian state. The lion's share of these subsidies goes to power and fertilisers in the state.

"If the government doesn't change its policies, it will import protein (pulses) and export carbohydrates (rice)," Gulati said.

Earlier this month, the Punjab Information and Public Relations Department said the state government will give an incentive of 7,000 rupees per acre (1 acre = 0.40 ha) to farmers to encourage them to cultivate crops other than paddy as part of the government's crop diversification plan. Each farmer can avail of the incentive for a maximum of 12.5 acres, the department said. End

Reported by Sayantan Sarkar and Afra Abubacker

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

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