(a) whether the production of pulses has not been keeping pace with the increasing
demand primarily on account of low productivity and susceptibility to pests and
diseases;
(b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
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): The production of pulses has increased from 14.20 million tonnes in 2006-07 to
14.74 million tonnes in 2009-10 as per second advance estimate for 2009-10 of
Directorate of Economics and Statistics. Pulses crops are grown primarily in rainfed
areas. They are considered risky crops on account of their susceptibility to pests and
diseases, resulting in low productivity. In order to bridge the demand and supply gaps,
National Food Security Mission was started in 2007-08 to increase the productivity of
food crops including pulses through promotion of techonology in potential districts of
the country.
(b) & (c): National Food Security Mission (NFSM) has been strengthened recently
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 demonstation of technology in compact blocks.
In addition to this, an amount of Rs.300 crores has been proivded 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)`.