To make India self-sufficient in pulses, the government has launched a new portal that will enable the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) to purchase tur dal (pigeon pea) directly from registered farmers. The portal was launched by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah. It wil facilitate the registration, purchase, and direct payment to farmers producing Tur Dal.
Shah emphasized that by January 2028, India will no longer need to import any pulses. He assured farmers that their produce would be procured at either the minimum support price (MSP) or the market price, whichever is higher, through the newly launched portal.
Registered farmers will have the opportunity to sell their produce in the open market as well. This initiative aims to boost domestic pulses production through crop diversification, ultimately reducing the country’s reliance on imports. In the future, a similar facility will be introduced for other pulses such as urad (black gram), masoor (lentil), and maize. Currently, India heavily depends on imports for tur, urad, and masoor.
Through this new portal, pulses will be procured by government-backed cooperatives such as NAFED and NCCF. Companies like Agribid associated with NCCF will further assist in the procurement of various commodities.
Shah emphasized that this move would not only make India self-sufficient in pulse production but also contribute to nutritional security, enhance soil fertility through nitrogen fixation, and conserve water due to the crops’ lower water requirements.
This announcement comes at a time when tur production in India is expected to reach 3.4 million tonnes in 2023-24, lower than the record output of 4.8 million tonnes in 2016-17 due to reduced acreage. The government estimates that India’s import of pulses in the ongoing fiscal year is expected to decrease by more than 35 per cent compared to the previous fiscal year, as a result of this initiative.
