GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 5161

ANSWERED ON:27.04.2010

NATIONAL MISSION ON PULSES

(a) whether the Government proposes to launch a National Mission on Pulses to meet the domestic requirement of pulses;

(b) if so, the details thereof including the terms of reference of the mission;

(c) whether the Technology Mission on Oilseeds which had been merged into the Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm and Maize (ISOPOM) has been unable to achieve the targets assigned to it;

(d) if so, the reasons therefor; and

(e) the steps taken by the Government to improve acreage/productivity of pulses?

ANSWER

 MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K.V. THOMAS)

(a), (b) & (e): In furtherance of the announcement made by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on 6th February,2010 in the conference of Chief Ministers on “issues related to prices of essential commodities”, for starting a National mission on pulses, National Food Security Mission(NFSM) has been strengthened with enhanced scope for more intensive promotion of pulses crops. Pulses components of Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds Pulses Oilpalm and Maize (ISOPOM) have been merged in the mission and all the districts in the ISOPOM/NFSM States are now covered under NFSM Pulses. In addition, 15 districts of Jharkhand and 10 districts of Assam have also been included under NFSM Pulses based on their potential for pulses development. Thus, revamped NFSM Pulses is now covering in 458 districts of 16 states as against earlier 171 districts of 14 states. The mission provides assistance for promotion of quality seeds, Integrated Nutrient management, integrated pest management, farm mechanization, demonstrations and trainings of farmers etc.

 In addition to the above mentioned enhancement of scope, new initiative -Accelerated Pulses production Programme has been launched as part of NFSM Pulses from 2010-11. Under “Accelerated Pulses Production Programme, 1 million hectare of potential pulses areas for the major pulses crops-tur, urad, moong, gram and lentil has been taken up for large scale demonstration of technology in compact blocks..

In addition to this, an amount of Rs.300 crores has been provided in the union budget 2010-11 to promote dry land farming in sixty thousand “Pulses and oilseeds villages” in rainfed areas. These funds have been provided as additional central assistance under the ongoing scheme of ‘Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)’. 

 (c) & (d) : Production of oilseeds in the country is insufficient to meet the increasing edible oil demand and domestic requirement. The gap in demand and supply is bridged through import of edible oil. The major constraints/reasons for oilseeds are low productivity due to unirrigated areas (72% rainfed), lack of varietal replacement, loss of production due to pests and diseases and high risk from natural vagaries.