Pulse of the nation: Can India become self-sufficient in producing dal?

livemint.com:

Mint explains: Last week, the government launched a new portal where farmers growing pulses can register and sell their produce directly to central agencies at the minimum support price (MSP). The move follows a spike in consumer prices which were 18% higher year-on-year in November 2023. Farmers often hesitate to grow pulses, preferring rice and wheat which government agencies procure at MSP to supply to the food security scheme.

The Centre hopes the promise of assured purchase will get farmers to plant more pulses and cut imports. By end-2027, it expects India to be a net exporter of pulses. In the past few years production of pulses was estimated at 27-28 million tonnes.

Imports were 2.5 million tonnes in 2022-23. The shortfall is largely in varieties like arhar (pigeon pea), where lower production led to a surge in prices and imports. Other than pigeon peas, India also imports black gram and lentils.

To increase domestic availability and cool retail prices, the government has allowed duty free import of pigeon peas, black gram and lentils till March 2025. While higher supply of imported pulses can help reduce local prices, it can also dissuade farmers from increasing the area under cultivation. Influx of cheap, imported edible oils like palm and soybean oil increased India’s dependence on imports by outcompeting local supplies.

India imports over 60% of its edible oil needs. Imports constitute about 10% of domestic consumption for pulses. This is unlikely to increase significantly since India is the largest grower and consumer of pulses globally.