🔆 Key Facts About Pulses in India 🌾
📍About Pulses
✅ Edible seeds of leguminous plants (Fabaceae).
✅ High in protein, fiber, nutrients, low in fat.
✅ Nitrogen-fixing → improves soil fertility.
✅ Long shelf life when dried.
📍Climatic Needs
✅ Temp: 20–27°C, Rainfall: 25–60 cm, Sandy-loamy soils.
✅ Rabi Pulses (60%) – Gram/Chana, Masoor → need mild cold.
✅ Kharif Pulses – Moong, Urad, Arhar → need warm climate.
📍India’s Production
✅ Largest producer (25%), consumer (27%), importer (14%) globally.
✅ Top states: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, UP, Karnataka.
✅ Pulses = 20% of grain area but only 7–10% output.
✅ Gram dominant (40%), followed by Tur (15–20%), Urad & Moong (8–10%).
📍Imports (2024-25)
✅ Record imports: 7.3 mt, USD 5.5 bn.
✅ Sources: Canada, Russia, Australia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Myanmar, US.
✅ Imports spiked due to El Niño drought → output fell to 24.2 mt (2023-24), partly recovered to 25.2 mt.
📍Challenges
✅ MSP bias towards rice/wheat; weak procurement of pulses.
✅ Climate vulnerability (rainfed, drought/monsoon shocks).
✅ Low productivity: 660 kg/ha vs world avg 909 kg/ha.
✅ Small holdings, poor R&D, soil & pest issues.
✅ High post-harvest losses (5–10%).
📍Govt Initiatives
✅ NFSM-Pulses, PM-AASHA, NMSA, RKVY, Mission on HY Seeds.
📍Way Forward
✅ Promote HYVs & biofortified varieties (iron-rich lentils, pigeon pea hybrids).
✅ Expand micro-irrigation, rice-fallow pulses, precision farming.
✅ Reform MSP/procurement, rebalance subsidies, incentivize diversification.
✅ Strengthen storage, processing, FPO linkages.
✅ Boost R&D + extension services (KVKs, IPM, intercropping).
✅ Maintain 2.5–3 mt buffer stock, regulate imports dynamically.
📍Conclusion
✅ India must tackle policy bias, climate risks, and import dependence.
✅ With reforms, R&D, procurement & storage, pulses can ensure farmer incomes + food security.
📍UPSC Civil Services Examination – Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
#UPSC #Mains #Pulses #FoodSecurity
📍About Pulses
✅ Edible seeds of leguminous plants (Fabaceae).
✅ High in protein, fiber, nutrients, low in fat.
✅ Nitrogen-fixing → improves soil fertility.
✅ Long shelf life when dried.
📍Climatic Needs
✅ Temp: 20–27°C, Rainfall: 25–60 cm, Sandy-loamy soils.
✅ Rabi Pulses (60%) – Gram/Chana, Masoor → need mild cold.
✅ Kharif Pulses – Moong, Urad, Arhar → need warm climate.
📍India’s Production
✅ Largest producer (25%), consumer (27%), importer (14%) globally.
✅ Top states: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, UP, Karnataka.
✅ Pulses = 20% of grain area but only 7–10% output.
✅ Gram dominant (40%), followed by Tur (15–20%), Urad & Moong (8–10%).
📍Imports (2024-25)
✅ Record imports: 7.3 mt, USD 5.5 bn.
✅ Sources: Canada, Russia, Australia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Myanmar, US.
✅ Imports spiked due to El Niño drought → output fell to 24.2 mt (2023-24), partly recovered to 25.2 mt.
📍Challenges
✅ MSP bias towards rice/wheat; weak procurement of pulses.
✅ Climate vulnerability (rainfed, drought/monsoon shocks).
✅ Low productivity: 660 kg/ha vs world avg 909 kg/ha.
✅ Small holdings, poor R&D, soil & pest issues.
✅ High post-harvest losses (5–10%).
📍Govt Initiatives
✅ NFSM-Pulses, PM-AASHA, NMSA, RKVY, Mission on HY Seeds.
📍Way Forward
✅ Promote HYVs & biofortified varieties (iron-rich lentils, pigeon pea hybrids).
✅ Expand micro-irrigation, rice-fallow pulses, precision farming.
✅ Reform MSP/procurement, rebalance subsidies, incentivize diversification.
✅ Strengthen storage, processing, FPO linkages.
✅ Boost R&D + extension services (KVKs, IPM, intercropping).
✅ Maintain 2.5–3 mt buffer stock, regulate imports dynamically.
📍Conclusion
✅ India must tackle policy bias, climate risks, and import dependence.
✅ With reforms, R&D, procurement & storage, pulses can ensure farmer incomes + food security.
📍UPSC Civil Services Examination – Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Prelims
Q. With reference to pulse production in India, consider the following statements: (2020)
1. Black gram can be cultivated as both kharif and rabi crop.
2. Green gram alone accounts for nearly half of pulse production.
3. In the last three decades, while the production of kharif pulses has increased, the production of rabi pulses has decreased.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: (a)
Mains
Q. Explain various types of revolutions, took place in Agriculture after Independence in India. How have these revolutions helped in poverty alleviation and food security in India? (2017)
#UPSC #Mains #Pulses #FoodSecurity
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