Question : Average Productivity of Pulses

(a) the annual quantity of pulses in million tonnes required in the country to achieve zero hunger or meet the minimum protein requirement in the next decade;
(b) whether the Ministry has calculated average productivity, in production per hectare of the various pulses needed to achieve zero hunger or minimum protein requirement for the next decade and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) the details of the average productivity of pulses grown in India and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(d) whether the Ministry is aware that the different varieties of pulses released by the Government are not performing as per the claimed productivity of even the lower yielding varieties; and
(e) if so, the measures taken to increase productivity to meet zero hunger goals?

THE MINISTER OF STATE
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)


(a) to (e) : As per the report of Working Group constituted by NITI Aayog on Demand and Supply Projections Towards 2033 – Crops, Livestock and Agricultural Inputs (February 2018), the demand for pulses is projected to increase from 26.72 million tonnes in 2021-22 to 32.64 million tonnes in 2029-30. The estimated production of pulses in 2021-22 as per the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW) is 26.96 million tonnes.

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare implementsthe National Food Security Mission (NFSM), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme,which aims at increasing production of rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and nutri-cereals through area expansion and productivity enhancement in the identified districts of the country; improving soil fertility, farm level productivity besides, transfer of technology through demonstrations and trainings, incentives on critical inputs like quality seeds, water saving devices, farm equipment and machinery etc.Under NFSM-Pulses, incentives are given to the farmers for cluster demonstrations, seed distribution and production of certified seeds of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs), farm machineries/tools, efficient water saving devices, plant protection chemicals, nutrient management, soil ameliorants and trainings to the farmers. Thepulse-wise yieldof major pulses from 2016-17 to 2021-22 is given at Annexure.


To boost agricultural productivity, theGovernment is implementing various schemes for supply of farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, agricultural machinery and equipment, irrigation facilities, institutional credit, etc., at subsidized rates to the farmers. Further, Government has taken steps for increasing investment in agriculture sector which include creation of Agricultural Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF), Micro Irrigation Fund for water use efficiency, promotion of commercial organic farming, etc. Moreover, under the revamped Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) namely, RKVY-RAFTAAR (Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation), 50 per cent of the regular outlay has been earmarked for infrastructure and assets.

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ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3346 FOR 23.03.2022 REGARDING AVERAGE PRODUCTIVITY OF PULSES


Pulse-wise yield of major pulses from 2016-17 to 2021-22
(Kg/Hectare)
Crop Season 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 Average (2016-17 to 2020-21) 2021-22^

Tur (Arhar) Kharif 913 967 729 859 914 876 825
Gram Rabi 974 1078 1041 1142 1192 1085 1221
Urad Kharif 626 632 500 359 469 517 513
Rabi 656 798 796 904 778 786 866
Total 632 662 546 459 538 567 586
Moong Kharif 488 440 466 519 522 487 523
Rabi 546 600 727 645 833 670 808
Total 500 477 516 548 601 528 596
Lentil Rabi 838 1047 901 847 1017 930 973
Other Kharif Pulses Kharif 409 441 365 491 478 437 437
Other Rabi Pulses Rabi 867 957 897 954 986 932 1028
Pulses Kharif 667 668 546 585 642 622 614
Rabi 898 1015 976 1045 1097 1006 1122
Total 786 853 757 823 885 820 888

^ As per 2nd Advance Estimates.
Source: D/o Agriculture & Farmers Welfare


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