The Global Pulses Conference, a collaborative effort of pulses producers, processors, and traders, has urged India to boost pulses production to meet nutritional requirements.
- The conference, jointly organized by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC), focused on sharing best practices and advancing technological solutions in the pulses sector.
About Global Pulses Conference:
- The conference is an annual event that is considered the largest global event in the pulses industry.
- It is organised by Global Pulse Confederation.
- It is a four-day event that offers an opportunity to share insights about the pulses market and attend with industry leaders.
- The conference typically focuses on addressing challenges and opportunities within the pulses sector, including production, processing, marketing, consumption, and policy frameworks.
- Participants often include policymakers, researchers, farmers, traders, processors, retailers, and representatives from international organizations.
- The Global Pulse Confederation (GPC) Pulses Conference 2024 was held in New Delhi, India.
About Global Pulses Confederation (GPC):
- The Global Pulse Confederation (GPC) is a non-profit organization that represents the entire pulse industry value chain.
- The GPC represents all segments of the pulse industry, including growers, researchers, traders, exporters, importers, government bodies, and consumers.
- The GPC’s partnership with the FAO aims to promote the sustainable production, consumption, and international trade of pulses.
- The India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA) is a member of the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC).
- The India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA) is the leading body of India’s pulses and grains industry and trade.
- The IPGA’s goal is to make India’s pulses and grains industry and trade globally competitive.
About Pulses:
- Pulses are a category of crops that belong to the legume family.
- They are characterized by their dry, edible seeds enclosed in pods.
- Pulses are an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them an essential part of a balanced diet.
- Pulses contain 20–25% protein by weight, which is double the amount found in wheat and three times the amount found in rice.
Significance of pulses:
- Pulses are not only nutritionally dense but also contribute to sustainable agriculture.
- They have the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, enhancing soil fertility and reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
Pulses production in India:
- India is positioned as the largest producer (accounting for 25% of global production), consumer (27% of world consumption), and importer (14%) of pulses.
- Pulses account for around 20% of the area under foodgrains and contribute around 7-10 per cent of the total foodgrains production in the country.
- Though pulses are grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons, Rabi pulses contribute more than 60% of the total production.
- Gram is the most dominant pulse having a share of around 40% in the total production followed by Tur/Arhar at 15 to 20% and Urad/Black Matpe and Moong at around 8-10 per cent each.
- Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are the top five pulses producing States.
Recent trends and government initiatives:
- The production of pulses has seen a consistent rise from 230.25 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 to 275.04 lakh tonnes in 2022-23, according to the third advance estimates.
- The National Food Security Mission (NFSM)-Pulses is at the forefront of these efforts, providing assistance to farmers for interventions like improved practices, seed production, and distribution of high-yielding varieties (HYVs)/hybrids, among others.
- Additionally, the establishment of 150 Seed Hubs under NFSM since 2016-17 has significantly contributed to the availability of quality seeds, with more than 1 lakh quintal quality seed of pulses produced.
- Research and development have also been key, with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) playing a pivotal role.
- From 2014 to 2023, ICAR has developed 343 high-yielding varieties/hybrids of pulses for commercial cultivation in India.
- Moreover, the government’s implementation of the PM-AASHA scheme, including the Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), and Private Procurement Stockist Scheme (PPSS), aims to ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers, further bolstering pulses production.
Issues with Pulses production in India
- Low yields: Pulses have low and uncertain yields, low per hectare returns, and high year-to-year output variability.
- Unfavorable weather: The monsoon season brings heavy rains and flooding, which can damage crops and lead to lower production levels.
- Poor soil: Most pulses are grown in low fertility, problematic soils.
- Low input usage: Pulses are mainly grown on marginal and sub-marginal lands under rainfed conditions with low input usage.
- Lack of technology: Farmers have a low adoption rate of pulses technologies due to risky crops, low and unstable yields, poor infrastructure, and non-availability of critical inputs like quality seeds in time.
- Lack of government procurement: There is an ineffective government procurement system.
- Trade liberalization: Trade liberalization makes pulse production difficult.
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