INVC,,
Delhi,,
During the last decade, production of pulses has been fluctuating in the range of about 13 to 15 million tones whereas production of oilseeds has increased from 20.71 million tones in 1999-2000 to 29.76 million tonnes in 2007-08. Due to drought in most parts of the country, the estimated production of oilseeds in 2009-10 declined to 24.39 million tonnes (4th advance estimates). However, during the current year, the prospectus of pulses and oilseeds are better. As per the 1st advance estimates released on 23.09.2010, the estimated production of kharif pulses and oilseeds are higher than the last year.
Due to various measures taken by the Government to check price rise, as per Wholesale Prices Indices (WPIs) released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, while there has been only marginal increase of 1.01% in the overall wholesale prices of oilseeds during October 2010 as compared to April 2010, the prices of pulses during the above period have declined.
To increase production and productivity of pulses and oilseeds in the country, the Government of India is implementing various crop development schemes such as National Food Security Mission-Pulses, Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Maize and Oil Palm (ISOPOM) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana through State Governments. In addition to above schemes, during 2010-11, two new programmes for bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India and Integrated Development of 60,000 Pulses and Oilseeds Villages in rainfed areas have been initiated under RKVY. The National Food Security Mission has been strengthened from 1.4.2010 with the merger of pulses component of ISOPOM and inclusion of two new potential States namely; Assam and Jharkhand for pulses production. A new programme “Accelerated Pulses Production Programme (A3P)” in the form of block demonstrations has also been started in 16 pulse growing States of the country.
Despite various efforts made by the Government, the production of pulses and oilseeds is lower than their requirements and in the near future the gap between demand and supply has to be met through imports.
This information was given by Prof. K.V. Thomas, Minister of State for Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
