Lok Sabha Question No. 1597 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-26
Subject: Availability of Pulses
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne, George Baker, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, RAMCHARAN BOHARA, K. MARAGATHAM, JYOTI DHURVE, RAMDAS CHANDRABHANJI TADAS, B. SREERAMULU, RAKESH SINGH, RAJESH VERMA, CHINTAMANI MALVIYA, DHARMENDRA YADAV, K.R.P. PRABAKARAN, MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA, LAXMAN GILUWA, SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV, RAM CHARITRA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1597

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  26 TH  JULY, 2016

## AVAILABILITY OF PULSES

## 1597.  SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI GEORGE BAKER:

SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA:

SHRIMATI K. MARAGATHAM:

SHRIMATI JYOTI DHURVE:

SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS:

SHRI B. SRIRAMULU:

SHRI RAKESH SINGH:

SHRI RAJESH VERMA:

PROF. CHINTAMANI MALVIYA:

SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

SHRI K.R.P. PRABAKARAN:

SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA:

SHRI LAXMAN GILUWA:

SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV:

SHRI RAM CHARITRA NISHAD:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE   ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं कसान कयाण

½ãâ¨ããè

be pleased to state:

- (a) the consumption and availability of pulses in the country during each of the last three years and the current year, State/ UT-wise;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to promote cultivation of several varieties of pulses  such  as  dun  peas,  green  lentils  and  yellow  peas  for  addressing  the  issue  of shortage and high prices of arhar dal and demand for cheaper pulses in the market and if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  in  this regard;
- (c) the  details  of  the  projects  undertaken  by  the  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural Research (ICAR) and other institutes for strengthening basic research in the development of pulses grown in specific regions of the country and the achievements thereunder during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  drawn  up  a  five  year  roadmap  to  increase  the production  of  pulses  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  measures taken/being taken by the Government to implement the roadmap; and

(e) the achievements of the other schemes/programmes being run by the Government to increase the production of pulses in the country along with the benefits derived/likely to be derived by the farmers therefrom?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

## ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã  ½ãñâ  Àã·¾ã  ½ãâ¨ããè (  SHRI  S.S. AHLUWALIA )

(a):      Production  and   consumption/availability of pulses in the country during each of the last three years is as under:

| (Lakh        | tonnes)   | tonnes)   | tonnes)   |
|--------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Year         | 2012-13   | 2013-14   | 2014-15   |
| Production   | 183.40    | 192.50    | 171.50    |
| Import       | 40.19     | 31.77     | 45.85     |
| Export       | 2.03      | 3.46      | 2.22      |
| Availability | 221.56    | 220.81    | 215.13    |

(b): The  high  yielding  varieties  as  developed  by  National  Agriculture  Research System (NARS) of pulses for different agro-ecologies of the country are being promoted under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) for enhancing production and productivity of pulses. ICAR has developed a lentil variety (Pant L-6) of yellow cotyledon and dun seeded fieldpea variety (RFP 2009-1).

(c): ICAR is continuously engaged in basic and strategic research on pulses at Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur and coordinates applied research through four All India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRPs) on different pulses (chickpea, pigeonpea, mungbean,  uradbean,  lentil, lathyrus, rajmash, fieldpea, clusterbean, mothbean, horsegarm and cowpea) in association with the State Agriculture Universities for  developing  new  high  yielding  varieties  of  pulses  and  location  specific  improved production technologies. During the last  five  years (2011-15),  ICAR  has released 59 high yielding varieties of different pulses that have fair degree of tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

(d) & (e): Yes.  Government  has  drawn  a  five  year  road  map  to  increase  the production of pulses in the country through (i) productivity enhancement by promoting seed  of  newer  varieties,  providing  life  saving  irrigation  in  pulses  districts,  ensuring availability  of  critical  inputs,  mechanization  of  farm  operations  in  pulses  and  (ii)  area expansion by promoting pulses as intercrop, catch crop, targeting rice and cultivation on rice  bunds/farm  bunds.  Specific  initiatives  like  research  strategy  for  hybridization  and reducing the crop duration and increasing per day productivity are the major steps of the road map to increase the pulses production.

Pulses production has increased from 14.20 million tonnes during 2006-07 (preNFSM  year)  to  17.06  million  tonnes  (  3 rd advance  estimate)  during  2015-16.  Now, farmers derived the benefits from NFSM through cultivation of new varieties of pulses, adopting  scientific  crop  production  technologies,  Integrated  Nutrient  Management, Integrated  Pest  Management  techniques,  farm implements  and  irrigation  devices and cropping system based trainings..

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