Lok Sabha Question No. 1094 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-08
Subject: Increase in Production of Pulses
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Parvesh Sahib Singh

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1094

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2023

## INCREASE IN PRODUCTION OF PULSES

1094.  SHRI PARVESH SAHIB SINGH VERMA:

Will  the  Minister  of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of pre and the post-harvest losses in the case of various pulses ranging from 4.3% to 6.1%, if so, the steps being taken by the Government for the modernization of pulses processing plants to reduce post-harvest losses;
- (b) the steps taken by the Government to increase the pulses production as the average yield of all pulses is less when compared to the world average; and
- (c) whether the Government has put any efforts to expand the area of pulses in rice fallows available in eastern and southern States, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ( lk/oh fujatu T;ksfr )

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

- (a) :  The  Ministry  of Food  Processing  Industries  (MoFPI)  is  mandated  to  create  post-harvest infrastructure and processing facilities, inter-alia ,  to  boost the overall development of the food processing sector including reduction in post-harvest losses; create off farm employment, and enhance value addition and  exports  of  processed  food.  MoFPI  has  commissioned  studies  on  post-harvest  losses  in  various agriculture  commodities  through  (i)  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research-Central  Institute  of  PostHarvest  Engineering  and  Technology  (ICAR-CIPHET)  in  2015,  and  (ii)  NABARD  Consultancy  Service Pvt. Ltd (NABCONS) in 2022.

The  Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries  (MoFPI)  implements  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan SAMPADA Yojana  (PMKSY)  as  a  comprehensive  package  for  creation  of  modern  infrastructure  with efficient  supply  chain  management  from  farm  gate  to  retail  outlet.  The  PMKSY  had  seven  component schemes  viz;  (i)  Mega  Food  Parks,  (ii)  Integrated  Cold  Chain  and  Value  Addition  Infrastructure,  (iii) Infrastructure  for  Agro-Processing  Clusters,  (iv)  Creation  of  Backward  and  Forward  Linkages,  (v) Creation/Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities, (vi) Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure and (vii) Human Resources and Institutions.

(b)  : To  increase  pulses  production,  the  Department  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  (DAFW) implements  the  National  Food  Security  Mission  Programme  (NFSM)  in  identified  districts  across  the country. The NFSM-Pulses is being implemented in 644 districts of 28 States and 2 Union Territories of the country (J&K and Ladakh). Under NFSM-Pulses assistance is given to farmers for interventions like cluster demonstrations on improved package of practices, demonstrations on cropping system, distribution of seeds of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs)/ hybrids, improved farm machineries/ resource conservation machineries/ tools, efficient water application tools, plant protection measures, nutrient management/ soil ameliorants,  processing  and  post-harvest  equipments,  cropping  system  based  trainings  to  the  farmers  etc. through State Governments. In addition, the certified seeds of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs)/ hybrids of pulses are provided in the form the seed minikits free of cost to the farmers.

(c)  : Under  National  Food  Security  Mission  (NFSM)  Programme,  the  Targeting  Rice  Fallow  Area (TRFA)-Pulses is being implemented in 11 States of the country which gives emphasis on land that remains underutilized  after  harvesting  of  Kharif  paddy  crops  and  aims  to  bring  a  change  in  the  cropping  pattern during  Rabi  season  by  introducing  appropriate  varieties  of  pulses  that  can  be  cultivated  using  available moisture.  It  is  being  implemented  through  a  combination  of  innovative  technological  interventions  and provision  of  essential  agri-inputs  including  extension  services  in  11  TRFA  implementing  States.  TRFA Programme was initiated in the year 2016-17 in 6 States namely, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha  and  West  Bengal.  The  coverage  was  expanded  to  5  new  States  namely,  Gujarat,  Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu during 2019-20.

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