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➔ Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (2025–26 to 2030–31) Self-Sufficiency, Value Chains & Agrarian Resilience (UPSC/RAS/PSI)

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Nodal Ministry- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW)

Macro Profile, Nutritional Imperative & Production Trajectory

  1. Nutritional Security Anchor- Pulses contain 20% to 25% protein, which is more than double the protein content of wheat and nearly three times that of rice, serving as a primary protein source in Indian diets.
  2. Global Standing vs. Production Expansion- While India remains the world's largest producer and consumer of pulses, national output expanded from 256.83 lakh tonnes in 2024–25 to 274.09 lakh tonnes in 2025–26 (3rd Advance Estimates).
  3. Acreage Expansion- Pulse cultivation area expanded from 277.20 lakh hectares in 2024–25 to 286.46 lakh hectares in 2025–26.
  4. Yield & Productivity Gains- National pulse productivity improved from 926 kg per hectare in 2024–25 to 957 kg per hectare in 2025–26.
  5. Primary Geographical Cultivation Belts- Predominantly cultivated across 10 key States- Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal.
  6. Conserving Foreign Exchange- Higher domestic output and productivity led to a 31.52% reduction in import expenditure, falling from ₹46,427.60 crore in 2024–25 to ₹31,793.59 crore in 2025–26.

Strategic Mission Targets & Seed Architecture (Horizon 2030–31)

  1. Long-Term Production & Yield Targets- Seeks to elevate national pulse production to 350 lakh tonnesand national yield to 1,130 kg per hectare by FY 2030–31.
  2. Focus on Deficit Pulses- Concentrates resources on three chronically import-dependent pulses- Tur (Pigeon Pea/Arhar), Urad (Blackgram), and Masoor (Lentil).
  3. Cultivation Area Expansion- Plans to bring an additional 35 lakh hectares under pulse farming, targeting a cumulative pulse acreage of 310 lakh hectares by 2030–31 (utilizing fallow lands and intercropping).
  4. Free Quality Seed Kit Distribution- Targets the distribution of 87.5 lakh free mini seed kits alongside 126 lakh quintals of certified seeds over the six-year mission lifespan.
  5. Rice-Fallow Utilization- Promotes pulses in moisture-rich post-paddy fallows during the Rabi season; distributed 9.25 lakh seed kits in Rabi 2025–26 alone.
  6. Intensive District Clusters- Adopts a concentrated cluster-based production model covering 489 districts nationwide, integrating localized extension, nutrient management, and mechanization.

Price Security & 100% Assured Procurement Architecture

  1. Substantial MSP Upward Revisions (2024–25 to 2026–27)-

a.     Tur (Arhar)- Increased by ₹900 per quintal (+11.92%), from ₹7,550 to ₹8,450 per quintal.

b.     Urad- Increased by ₹800 per quintal (+10.81%), from ₹7,400 to ₹8,200 per quintal.

c.      Masoor (Lentil)- Increased by ₹300 per quintal (+4.48%), from ₹6,700 to ₹7,000 per quintal.

  1. Four-Year 100% Assured Procurement Compact- NCCF and NAFED are formally authorized to procure 100% of Tur, Masoor, and Urad from registered and willing farmers for a four-year window (2025–26 to 2028–29) under PM-AASHA principles.
  2. Macro Procurement Footprint- Total national pulse procurement rose from 18.40 lakh tonnes in 2024–25 to 31.41 lakh tonnes in 2025–26.
  3. NCCF Dashboard Procurement Scale-

a.     Total procurement of 10.55 lakh tonnes across 9 states, releasing ₹7,047 crore in direct MSP payments to 4.69 lakh beneficiary farmers (out of 7.74 lakh registered).

b.     Kharif 2025–26- Procured 7.89 lakh tonnes valued at ₹6,431 crore, benefiting 3.66 lakh farmers.

c.      Rabi 2026–27- Procured 23.51 lakh tonnes with ₹14,217 crore released directly to 10.20 lakh farmers.

  1. Direct Farmer Onboarding- Operates through pre-sowing registration on digital portals, establishing guaranteed price floors that encourage crop diversification away from water-intensive staples.
  2. Export Expansion- India's pulse exports grew by 13.40% to reach USD 969.53 million (10.01 lakh tonnes) in 2025–26, with primary shipments to China, UAE, Bangladesh, the USA, and Sri Lanka.

Post-Harvest Value Addition & Food Processing Infrastructure

  1. The 1,000 Dal Mill Mandate- Targets the creation of 1,000 decentralized pulse processing units (dal mills) across rural production catchments to minimize post-harvest transit losses and encourage localized processing.
  2. Phase-I Allocation- Formally allocated 528 dal mill units across States and Union Territories in the initial rollout phase.
  3. Convergence with PMKSY (CEFPPC)- 23 pulse processing units have been sanctioned under the Creation and Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC) scheme of Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana.
  4. Operational Completion- 18 specialized pulse processing units have achieved full commercial completion under PMKSY, providing mechanical sorting, grading, and dehusking.
  5. Strengthening Farm-Gate Realization- Decentralized milling enables Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and local cooperatives to market packaged split pulses directly, capturing margins traditionally absorbed by intermediary millers.
  6. Reduction of Food Miles & Storage Loss- Processing pulses at the village or block level reduces bulk freight costs and curtails storage losses caused by humidity and storage pests.

Digital Monitoring, Seed Traceability & Agritech Stack

  1. Three-Tier Steering Governance- A structured oversight mechanism coordinates planning, input distribution, and implementation across National, State, and District levels.
  2. Geospatial Mapping via Krishi Mapper- Utilizes the Krishi Mapper application for farm-level geo-fencing, field geo-tagging, and real-time tracking of varietal field demonstrations and crop growth stages.
  3. End-to-End Seed Traceability via SATHI- The Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI) portal automates the seed life cycle across generations—from breeder seed production to foundation seeds, certification, QR-code tagging, and retail sale.
  4. Integration with AgriStack & Digital Crop Survey- Connects unified Digital Farmer IDs with Soil Health Card data and spatial plot surveys to optimize micro-nutrient application (zinc, sulfur, phosphorus) and refine harvest forecasts.
  5. Digital Procurement & Verification Rails- Platforms such as e-Samriddhi and Vistaar automate registration, schedule procurement slots, verify physical deliveries, and process direct benefit transfers (DBT) into farmers' bank accounts.
  6. Price Intelligence & Market Integration- Digital tracking captures real-time arrivals and mandi wholesale rates, enabling market stabilization through strategic buffer stock releases.

Strategic Significance

  1. Addressing Protein Malnutrition- Pulses are an accessible protein source; increasing domestic production is vital to tackling chronic stunting and wasting among low-income households.
  2. Ecological Benefits & Soil Nitrification- As leguminous crops, pulses fix atmospheric nitrogen symbiotically via root rhizobia, improving soil health, cutting synthetic urea demand, and requiring significantly less water than paddy or sugarcane.
  3. Insulation from Geopolitical Price Shocks- High reliance on pulse imports from nations like Canada, Mozambique, Myanmar, and Australia exposes domestic retail inflation to international trade shocks; domestic self-reliance safeguards macroeconomic price stability.
  4. Encouraging Crop Diversification- Assured 100% procurement at remunerative MSPs provides an economic incentive for farmers in northwest India to transition away from water-intensive rice-wheat monocultures.
  5. Agrarian Climate Resilience- Pulses are naturally hardy, drought-tolerant, and well-suited for rainfed dryland agro-ecological zones (which make up 50% of India's cultivated area).
  6. Implementation Challenges to Monitor- Ensuring adequate drying and testing infrastructure at procurement centers, mitigating pest vulnerabilities (pod borers, wilt diseases), addressing processing yields in mini dal mills, and sustaining procurement operations when open-market prices exceed MSP.

Source: PIB