The highlights India's leading role in pulses production but underscores challenges, including low per capita consumption and unreliability for farmers. It discusses the historical dominance of cereals, urging policy shifts for nutritional security. Farmers' reluctance to grow pulses, stagnant productivity, and the need for market incentives are emphasized. Without improvements, India faces pulse crises, imports, and inflation.
Doubling average productivity is deemed crucial for self-sufficiency.
ndia is the largest producer, consumer, and importer of pulses in the world. Pulses account for 23 percent of the area but contribute 10 percent of the total foodgrains production in the country. India is the largest producer (25% of global production), consumer (27% of world consumption), and importer (14%) of pulses in the world.
The per capita consumption is about 50% of the recommended rate (80g/day for a moderately active person) made by the National Institute of Nutrition back in 2011. FAO has also indicated that 60% of Europeans have reduced their meat consumption to help fight climate change. The implication of this is import competition with India.
The uncertainties associated with pulse cultivation have reinforced the problems associated with high cost of pulses. High imports and thus high cost of pulses has already pushed India towards an imbalance between food security and nutritional security. Therefore, we must look for an increase in pulse productivity in India as well as source collaborations.
