4.05 lakh hectare of Kharif 2021 pulses to be funded by the Central Government
06 May 2021, New Delhi, IN: With an aim to attain self-sufficiency in the production of pulses, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has formulated a special Kharif strategy for implementation in the ensuing Kharif 2021 season.
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Through consultations with the state governments, a detailed plan for both area expansion and productivity enhancement for Tur, Moong and Urad has been formulated. Under the strategy, utilising all the high yielding varieties (HYVs) of seeds that are available either with the Central Seed Agencies or in the States will be distributed free of cost to increase area through intercropping and sole crop.
For the coming Kharif 2021, it is proposed to distribute 20,27,318 (almost 10 times more seed mini kits than 2020-21) amounting to Rs. 82.01 crores. The total cost for these mini-kits will be borne by the Central Government to boost the production and productivity of tur, moong and urad. The following mini-kits will be given;
- 13,51,710 mini kits of arhar containing certified seeds of HYVs of arhar released during last ten years and productivity not less than 15 qtl/ha- for intercropping.
- 4,73,295 mini kits of moong containing certified seeds of HYVs of moong released during last ten years but productivity not less than 10 qtl/ha- for intercropping.
- 93,805 mini kits of urad containing certified seeds of HYVs of urad released during last ten years but productivity not less than 10 qtl/ha- for intercropping.
- 1,08,508 mini kits of urad containing certified seeds of urad HYVs of Urad released during last 15 years and productivity not less than 10 qtl/ha – for Sole Crop.
The above mini-kits used for intercropping and urad sole crop will cover an area of 4.05 lakh hectare in the Kharif season 2021 to be funded by the Central Government. In addition to this, the usual programme of intercropping and area expansion by the states will continue on a sharing basis between the Centre and State.
- Tur intercropping will be covered in 11 states and 187 districts. The states are Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
- Moong intercropping will be covered in 9 states and 85 districts. The states are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
- Urad intercropping will be covered in 6 states in 60 districts. The states are Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Urad sole cropping will be covered in 6 states.
For effective implementation of the Kharif mini kit programme, a massive outreach with the concerned district will be held both through a series of webinars by the central government and state governments concerned to ensure that there are no hiccups. District level training programmes during the crop season will be organized through the District Agriculture Office and the ATMA network for good agriculture practices and the use of new seeds in subsequent seasons as well. The Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes (ATARIs) and Krishi Vigyan Kendras will also be roped in for effective implementation and training to the farmers.
The mini kits will be supplied by the Central agencies/ state agencies to the destination at the district level approved under the strategy by 15th June, 2021 with the total cost of Rs 82.01 crores to be borne by the Central Government. India is still importing around 4 lakh tonnes of tur, 0.6 lakh tonnes of moong and around 3 lakh tonnes of urad for meeting its demand. The special programme will increase the production and productivity of the three pulses of Tur, Moong and Urad to a great extent and will play an important role in reducing the import burden and usher India to become Aatmanirbhar in the production of pulses.
