In order to accelerate the pulses production, the scope of National Food Security Mission will be enhanced through the following changes:

(i) Merger of Integrated Scheme on Oilseeds Pulses, Oil palm and Maize (ISOPOM) Pulses components and area with NFSM pulses

(ii) Inclusion of additional programmes such as innovative “Accelerated Pulses Production Programme (A3P)” with nutrient and plant protection centric block demonstrations over 1 million hectares of pulses crop area and

(iii) Inclusion of innovative development and research projects.

The total financial outlay towards revised NFSM pulses for the remaining period of 11th plan including additional programmes and additional area as a result of merger of ISOPOM with NFSM and introduction of A3P will be Rs.1691.38 crore.

Nearly two crore farmers would be benefited by the implementation of the proposal.

Implementation strategy and targets:

(1) The main strategy is to merge the Pulses components of ISOPOM and NFSM—pulses. As a result, the entire crop area under pulses would be 458 districts of 16 states.

(2) In the next two years, one million hectares of total pulses area would be targeted for coverage for village level 1000 block demonstrations for five major crops of pulses namely Arhar (Tur), Moong, Chana, Urad, Masoor covering an area of 1000 hectares each in NFSM Pulses districts. Farmers would be provided institutional support for supply of quality seeds, kits of nutrients and plant protection chemicals in handholding approach.

(3) Development and research projects focusing on inherent constraints of pulses production would also be encouraged for increased pulses production.

Major Impact:

Merger of major schemes of NFSM and ISOPOM would bring in all pulses areas under single umbrella and also provide uniformity in implementation at ground level. The focused efforts would lead to increase in production and productivity of pulses. Implementation of A3P in 1 million hectares is estimated to bring in additional pulses production of 0.5 million tonnes. Innovative development and research projects would also assist in solving the constraints of pulses production, thereby helping in increased pulses production and productivity.

Background:

Despite producing 14.76 million tonnes of pulses from an area of 23.63 million hectare, the largest in the world, about 2 to3 million tonnes of pulses are imported annually costing more than Rs.5000 crore to meet the domestic consumption requirement. There is a need to accelerate the production of pulses in the country by more intensive promotion. Brainstorming session on Pulses organized by Ministry of Agriculture in June 2009 recommended that plant nutrient and plant protection centric technology promotion needs to be demonstrated to farmers in compact blocks.