Under pressure to boost pulses production, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today directed agri-universities to boost supply of seeds of a new variety of arhar dal that matures in a short span of 120 days.
Production of pulses in India, the world's largest producer and consumer, is stagnant at 17-18 million tonnes. It imports 4-5 million tonnes to meet its shortfall.
"It is good to see that in the very beginning of the New Year, one of our leading institutions, IARI, New Delhi, has released PADT-16, a variety of arhar that yields about 20 quintal/ha and matures in 120 days against 160-180 days taken by the presently used varieties," Singh said while addressing an annual conference of vice chancellors of agricultural universities and ICAR directors here.
"We must ensure that the seeds are made available to the farmers so that the new variety is brought into the production chain at the earliest," he said in a statement issued by the Agriculture Ministry.
The Minister hoped that the farm institutes would develop more improved varieties, not only of pulses but oilseeds as well.
As per the latest data, total area sown under pulses remained lower by 2.75 per cent at 139.07 lakh hectare till January 22 of the Rabi season of this year as against 143.01 lakh hectare last season.
The fall in pulses output in 2014-15 due to poor rains had spiked up prices to Rs 200 per kg in most retail markets.
Experts fear the pressure on pulses production and prices will continue this year as well as rains were deficient for the second consecutive year.
Stating that the country's farm sector needs to attain 4 per cent growth rate, Singh said, "In the past, we have been able to reach close to the target but have not achieved it. In the face of climate change, increasing and emerging abiotic and biotic stresses, the challenge is tough but I feel with our research capability, the task is not insurmountable."
He also said that there is an urgent need to address issues concerning rainfed agriculture, which accounts for about 56 per cent of the total cropped area.
"For addressing vagaries of nature, ICAR's National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) is a step forward in right direction.
"The National Agriculture Science Fund created for solving problems in cutting edge areas and capacity building is a step in right direction. These have to be carried forward in the mission mode," he added.
