Pulses Mission: One Year of Self-Reliance

The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses was launched on 11 October 2025 and completed its first year.
Aim: Achieve self-sufficiency in pulses by 2030-31, reduce import dependence, and enhance farmers' incomes.
Outlay: ₹11,440 crore for the period 2025-26 to 2030-31.

Production Target: Achieve 350 lakh tonnes of pulses, productivity of 1,130 kg/ha, and cultivation area of 310 lakh hectares by 2030-31, including an additional 35 lakh hectares.
Priority Crops: Focus on Tur, Urad, and Masur, promoting high-yielding, pest-resistant, and climate-resilient varieties.
Seed Support: Distribute 87.5 lakh free seed kits and 126 lakh quintals of certified seeds over six years; supported by the SATHI portal for seed traceability.
Assured Procurement: NAFED and NCCF will undertake 100% procurement of Tur, Urad, and Masur at MSP from registered farmers in participating States under PM-AASHA for four years (2025-26 to 2028-29).
Cluster-Based Approach: Region-specific interventions across 489 districts, including rice-fallow areas, intercropping, and crop diversification.
Processing Infrastructure: Establish 1,000 processing and packaging units, with financial assistance up to ₹25 lakh per unit. Under CEFPPC of PMKSY, 23 units have been approved, of which 18 are completed.
Beneficiaries: Nearly 2 crore farmers expected to benefit.
Implementation: Through ICAR, KVKs, and State agricultural departments.

Three-Tier Monitoring: Steering Committees at national, State, and district levels.
Krishi Mapper: Enables geo-fencing, land geo-tagging, and real-time tracking of seed-variety demonstrations and crop yields.
SATHI Portal: Digitises the seed supply chain, covering production, certification, and sale.
AgriStack and Digital Crop Survey: Integrate Farmer IDs, Soil Health Card analytics, and verified plot surveys for targeted nutrient delivery and accurate harvest forecasts.
E-Samriddhi and Vistaar: Support direct payments, real-time market information, and monitoring of pulse prices.

Production: Reached 274.09 lakh tonnes in 2025-26 (3rd Advance Estimates), up from 256.83 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
Area Expansion: Increased to 286.46 lakh hectares in 2025-26 from 277.20 lakh hectares.
Yield: Rose to 957 kg/ha from 926 kg/ha.
Trade: Import value declined by 31.52%, while export value increased by 13.40% in 2025-26.
Major Producing States: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal.
Major Export Destinations: China, UAE, Bangladesh, USA, Sri Lanka.

Enhances nutritional security, agricultural self-reliance, and farmers' prosperity.
Reduces import dependence and saves foreign exchange.
Promotes sustainable and climate-resilient farming.
Strengthens the value chain and generates rural employment.

Productivity gaps, weak market linkages, and climate variability.
Need for continued investment in research, infrastructure, and extension services.

The Mission represents a significant step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat in pulses. Long-term success depends on addressing structural challenges and promoting sustainable practices.