Under the ₹11,440 crore ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ launched on October 11, 2025, India aims to increase pulses production to 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31. As the mission completes its first year, the government is focusing on increasing pulse production, improving seed quality, expanding processing facilities and ensuring assured procurement for farmers.
According to the third advance estimates, pulse production in India increased from 256.83 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 to 274.09 lakh tonnes in 2025-26. The cultivated area rose from 277.20 lakh hectares to 286.46 lakh hectares, while average productivity increased from 926 kg to 957 kg per hectare.
The mission prioritises Arhar (tur), urad and masoor, aiming to expand the area under pulse cultivation by 35 lakh hectares to 310 lakh hectares by 2030–31. Additionally, the plan includes distributing 87.5 lakh free seed kits and 126 lakh quintals of certified seeds over six years, promoting climate-resilient varieties, and establishing 1,000 pulse-processing units across 489 districts.
To provide price security to farmers, the government has set the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the 2026-27 marketing season at ₹8,450 per quintal for tur, ₹8,200 for urad and ₹7,000 for masoor. Under the mission, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) are authorised to procure 100% of the eligible quantities of these pulses offered by willing, registered farmers for four years, from 2025-26 to 2028-29.
The government has allocated 528 of the 1,000 processing units planned for the first phase to various states and Union Territories. During the 2025-26 Rabi season, 9.25 lakh seed kits were distributed to promote pulse cultivation, including in areas with rice-fallow lands—fields that remain uncultivated after the paddy harvest.
Trade data also reveals a decline in the value of pulse imports; it fell by 31.52% from ₹46,427.60 crore in 2024-25 to ₹31,793.59 crore in 2025-26. Meanwhile, pulse exports rose by 13.40% to USD 969.53 million, with the export volume reaching 10.01 lakh tonnes during the year.
Digital platforms such as Krishi Mapper, SATHI, AgriStack, and e-Samriddhi are being utilized to enhance seed traceability, monitor farming activities, and facilitate procurement processes. Through these measures, the mission aims to strengthen domestic supply, boost farmers’ incomes and move India towards self-sufficiency in pulses by 2030-31.
(PIB)
