The focus of the Narendra Modi-led Central government is on increasing productivity of pulses, cereals and vegetables to produce more food for improving the nutritional level of the population as well nurturing India’s ambition to become the food basket of the world, according to a senior Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare official.

According to figures compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, pulse exports registered more growth than imports with higher MSP being given to farmers during the NDA government as compared to the erstwhile UPA government’s tenure.

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India exported pulses worth a mere Rs 1,218 crore during 2014-15 while the value of such exports during April-December 2024-25 surged to Rs 4,437 crore.

Besides, the country exported 5.94 lakh metric tonnes of pulses in 2023-24 worth Rs 5,397.86 crore. The major export destinations include the United States, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

The NDA government is focusing on its priority to become self-reliant in pulses cultivation and bring down the import bill further, the official said.

The procurement of foodgrains has increased from 761.40 lakh metric tonnes in 2014-15 to 1062.69 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23, benefitting more than 1.6 crore farmers. The expenditure incurred (at MSP values) on procurement of foodgrains increased from 1.06 lakh crores to 2.28 lakh crores, during the same period.

Meanwhile, the procurement of pulses at the MSP by the Centre is in full swing with the approval for the continuation of the integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme during the 15th Finance Commission cycle up to 2025-26 to help farmers get higher prices for their produce.

The procurement has already started in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana and a total quantity of 0.15 lakh metric tonnes of tur (arhar) has been procured in these states till February 15, benefiting 12,006 farmers. The procurement of tur in other states also will commence very soon. The Centre is committed to purchasing 100 per cent of tur produced by farmers through central nodal agencies, namely NAFED and NCCF, according to an official statement.

In order to incentivise the farmers contributing to enhancement of domestic production of pulses and to reduce the dependence on imports, the government has allowed the procurement of tur, urad, and masur under PSS equivalent to 100 per cent of the production of the state for the procurement year 2024-25.

The government has also made an announcement in Budget 2025 that procurement of tur (arhar), urad, and masur up to 100 per cent of the production of the state will be continued for another four years through Central Nodal Agencies to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses in the country.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the procurement of tur (arhar) in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh under Price Support Scheme for the Kharif 2024-25 season for a total quantity consolidating to 13.22 LMT.

The integrated PM-AASHA Scheme is administered to bring-in more effectiveness in the implementation of procurement operations that would not only help in providing remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce but also control the price volatility of essential commodities by ensuring their availability at affordable prices to consumers through the buffer stock when prices shoot up in the market.

Under the Price Support Scheme of the integrated PM-AASHA Scheme, the procurement of the notified pulses, oilseeds, and copra conforming to the prescribed Fair Average Quality is undertaken by the central nodal agencies at the MSP directly from the pre-registered farmers through the state-level agencies.