Participating in a Nafed function in Delhi, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said that initiatives of the Government in increasing pulses production in the country have yielded positive results.
“The country has turned self-sufficient in Pulses cultivation since 2016-17 with the combined efforts of all stakeholders. In the crop year 2018-19 India produced 22 million tonnes of Pulses and for the next year a target of 26.30 million tonnes is projected”, Tomar underlined.
Inaugurating the UN World Pulses Day celebrations Tomar said the Government’s primary focus given to the sector is seen from the budgetary allocations made for the Agriculture and Rural Development sectors which is about Rs 3 lakh crore.
While the Agriculture sector budget was Rs.27 thousand crore a couple of years ago, the Government has allocated over Rs. 1.5 lakh crore in FY 2020-21, he added.
To strengthen the logistics associated with the Agriculture sector, a new Kisan Rail has been announced in this budget which will benefit both the Agriculture and Horticulture sectors. To promote exports of fruits from the North-East, the Kisan Udan Yojana has been announced in the budget, he added.
Congratulating NAFED for taking a lead in organizing the World Pulses Day event, Tomar said the Government has procured 63 lakh tonnes of Pulses in the last five years, benefitting lakhs of farmers.
NAFED Chairman Dr Bijender Singh and several other co-operators including Dr Chandra Pal Singh, Dileep Sanghani, Sunil Singh, among others were present during the event.
On the occasion, the Minister launched the ‘Family pack of NAFED pulses and NAFED Organic pulses. A NAFED Coffee Table Book, recording its journey since inception on 2nd October, 1958 to the present and an FAO publication “Global Economy of Pulses” were also launched.