Cabinet Clears Rs 11,440 Crore Mission To Make India Self-Reliant In Pulses; To Benefit 2 Crore Farmers

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, a six-year initiative (2025-26 to 2030-31) aimed at making India self-sufficient in pulses, the Cabinet said in a statement.

With a financial outlay of Rs 11,440 crore, the Mission targets raising annual production to 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31, benefiting nearly two crore farmers.

India is the world’s largest consumer of pulses, but domestic production often lags demand, forcing imports to bridge a 15-20 per cent gap.

The new Mission seeks to reduce this dependency through better seeds, area expansion, assured procurement, and improved infrastructure.

A major focus will be on seed distribution and research. Over 126 lakh quintals of certified seeds will be made available, while 88 lakh free seed kits will be provided to farmers.

ICAR will supervise breeder seed production, and all distribution will be tracked via the SATHI portal.

The Mission also plans to bring an additional 35 lakh hectares under pulses by promoting intercropping and the use of rice fallow lands.

To curb post-harvest losses and strengthen value chains, 1,000 processing units will be set up with subsidies of up to Rs 25 lakh each.

Farmers will also benefit from capacity-building programmes and convergence with soil health, mechanisation, and fertiliser-use initiatives.

A key feature is the government’s assurance of 100 per cent procurement of Tur, Urad, and Masoor at MSP for the next four years, to be handled by NAFED and NCCF.

By 2030-31, the Mission expects to raise pulse yields to 1,130 kg per hectare, cut import bills, conserve foreign exchange, and generate significant rural employment, while promoting climate-resilient farming practices and improved soil health.

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