Make pulses policy demand-centric
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On the occasion of World Pulses Day, the Union Minister for Agriculture has reportedly stated that the Centre aspires to boost pulses production to 32 million tonnes (mt) by 2030 from the current level of around 24 mt.
On the face of it, the target is commendable and somewhat ambitious; but a closer scrutiny tells another story. Currently, 24 mt production of pulses yields dal (milled pulse) fit for human consumption of 18 mt after accounting for seeding and milling losses.
For the current population of 1.35 billion people, the annual per capita availability is around 13.5 kg. Indeed, there is a well recognised skew in consumption of pulses wherein the poor get to consume much less than what the per capita availability number (13.5 kg) would suggest. It is this section of the population (approximately 350 million) living below the poverty line who deserve to consume more pulses that are an economical source of vegetable protein.