Pulses Mission at one year: output 274 lakh tonnes, imports down 31%

The Pulses Mission: what happened?

India grows more pulses than any other country, yet it has long imported dal to fill the gap at home. A year ago the Centre started a six-year mission to close that gap. On its first anniversary PIB put out a backgrounder with the first year’s numbers.

• Production rose from 256.83 lakh tonnes (2024-25) to 274.09 lakh tonnes (2025-26, 3rd Advance Estimates).
• Area under pulses grew from 277.20 to 286.46 lakh hectares, and yield from 926 to 957 kg per hectare.
• Imports fell 31.52% in value, from ₹46,427.60 crore to ₹31,793.59 crore. Exports rose 13.40% to USD 969.53 million (10.01 lakh tonnes).
• Pulses procurement went up from about 18.40 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 to about 31.41 lakh tonnes in 2025-26.

What is the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses?

• A six-year mission (2025-26 to 2030-31) run by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, with ₹11,440 crore.
• It works on the whole chain: better seed, more area, higher yield, assured purchase, and processing (dal mills).
• Seed: 87.5 lakh free seed kits and 126 lakh quintals of certified seed over six years, with climate-resilient varieties.
• Area: 35 lakh hectares more, to reach 310 lakh hectares by 2030-31, largely by bringing pulses into rice-fallow land.
• Clusters: a cluster-based approach in 489 districts.
• Processing: 1,000 pulse processing units; 528 already allocated to States and UTs in the first phase.

Why are pulses so important for India?

• Pulses carry 20-25% protein, more than double wheat and nearly three times rice (PIB). For a largely vegetarian population they are the cheapest protein.
• Main growing States: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.
• Imports drain foreign exchange and leave kitchen prices open to shocks abroad. Every tonne grown at home saves dollars.

Who decides farm policy under the Constitution?

• Agriculture is a State subject (Seventh Schedule, List II, Entry 14), so States run extension and field work. The Centre steps in through funding and missions like this one.
• MSP is announced by the Union Government. Assured procurement under this mission is a scheme promise for four years (2025-26 to 2028-29).
• Procurement agencies here are NAFED and NCCF, both national-level cooperative federations.

What do the numbers say after one year?

How much did MSP rise for the three focus pulses?

How is the Mission meant to work?

From seed to plate

1. Certified, climate-resilient seed (SATHI portal tracks it)
2. More area in 489 cluster districts, including rice fallows
3. Assured purchase at MSP by NAFED and NCCF
4. Dal mills add value near the farm
5. Less import, steadier prices

Why does the Pulses Mission matter?

What are the challenges in the Pulses Mission?

• Output is 274 lakh tonnes against a 350 lakh tonne target; roughly 76 lakh tonnes more is needed in five years.
• Yield at 957 kg/ha is still well short of the 1,130 kg/ha goal.
• Procurement reached 4.69 lakh of 7.74 lakh registered farmers on the NCCF dashboard (as of 17 June 2026), so many registered growers were not covered.
• The 100% procurement promise runs only till 2028-29; farmers will watch what happens after that.
• Only 18 pulse units are complete under PMKSY so far, against a plan of 1,000 processing units.

What should be done next on the Pulses Mission?

• Keep the procurement promise visible and timely, since it is what changed sowing decisions.
• Push seed-kit distribution in rice fallows faster; 9.25 lakh of 87.5 lakh kits went out in Rabi 2025-26.
• Speed up the 528 allocated processing units so value stays near the farm.
• Use AgriStack and digital crop survey data to target districts where yield is lowest.

What can Prelims ask on the Pulses Mission?

• Launch date 11 Oct 2025; outlay ₹11,440 crore; period 2025-26 to 2030-31.
• Targets: about 350 lakh tonnes, 1,130 kg/ha, 310 lakh hectares by 2030-31.
• 100% procurement of tur, urad and masoor by NAFED and NCCF for four years (2025-26 to 2028-29).
• SATHI = Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory portal.
• Pulses carry 20-25% protein; India is the largest producer of pulses.

How to write about the Pulses Mission in Mains

Practice question (10 marks, 150 words): “Assured procurement, not just higher MSP, is the key to self-reliance in pulses.” Discuss with reference to the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses.

• Intro: India is the largest producer yet an importer; give the 274.09 lakh tonne figure.
• Body 1: what the Mission does (seed, area, procurement, dal mills).
• Body 2: one-year results in two or three numbers (imports −31.52%, yield 926 to 957).
• Body 3: gaps: target gap, partial farmer coverage, four-year limit.
• Conclusion: price certainty plus seed and processing, not MSP alone.

What should UPPCS aspirants note?

• Uttar Pradesh is named among the major pulse-growing States, so expect a UP-agriculture question on pulses and crop diversification.
• Tie it to UP’s rice-wheat belt: pulses in rice fallows add a crop without new land.