Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar said that after having achieved surplus food grains production, the country has become self-sufficient in Pulses cultivation since 2016-17 with the combined efforts of all stakeholders following the directions of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India produced 22 million tonnes of Pulses in the year 2018-19 and the projections are 26.30 million tonnes for the next year.
The Minister said that in order to ensure proper value for the produce, Government has raised the MSP by one-and-a-half times based on recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee. eNAM has been strengthened with a view of One Nation One Market which has provided farmers access to better and wider market area ensuring a fair price. The eNAM portal is already with 585 Mandi is and further 400 Mandis will be added soon.
To strengthen the logistics associated with the Agriculture sector, a new Kisan Rail has been announced in this budget which will benefit both the Agriculture and Horticulture sectors. To promote exports of fruits from the North-East, the Kisan Udan Yojana has been announced in the budget, he added.
Congratulating NAFED for taking a lead in organizing the World Pulses Day event, Tomar said the Government has procured 63 lakh tonnes of Pulses in the last five years, benefitting lakhs of farmers.
Addressing the event Dr. Ramesh Chand, Member NITI Aayog said the biggest role in increasing pulses production is to be played by country’s R&D, as technology is the major driving force in increasing production than the price factor. Citing cerealization of Indian diet post-Green Revolution for several nutritional issues in the country,
In order to address these concerns Dr. Chand further added that we need to look into the past of pulses cultivation and consumption patterns.
Since last year 2019, February 10 has designated “UN World Pulses Days per the United Nations General Assembly resolution NAFED organized the event this year in collaboration with Global Pulse Confederation (GPC). Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs of the Tripura, Manoj Kanti Deb, Global Pulses Confederation Chairperson Ms. Cindy Brown, NAFED Chairman Dr. Bijender Singh and representatives from various countries and officials of Central and State Governments and people associated with pulses production and sales were present in large numbers during the event.
The Minister launched the ‘Family pack of NAFED pulses and NAFED Organic pulses on this occasion. A NAFED Coffee Table Book, recording its journey since inception on 2nd October, 1958 to the present and an FAO publication “Global Economy of Pulses” were also launched. The inaugural session was followed by four sessions devoted to the need of enhanced production and consumption of pulses for nutrition, investment in the supply chain of pulses and by value addition as well as the outlook of pulses globally with emphasis on India.
