An official has stated that the government is promoting the cultivation of pulses, specifically ‘arhar’ and ‘urad’, in Naxal-affected districts and tribal areas of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to enhance national production and boost farmers’ income.

A pilot project is underway to focus on non-traditional pulse-growing regions. Its success could lead to a nationwide expansion, potentially reducing India’s reliance on imports.

The National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF), which is responsible for leading the project, has identified four districts in Jharkhand and five in Chhattisgarh for implementation.

Anice Joseph Chandra, the Managing Director of NCCF, informed PTI that they promote ‘arhar’ and ‘urad’ production this Kharif season in selected Naxal-affected and tribal areas of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, including women farmers.

The target districts are Rajnandgaon, Jashpur, Bastar, and Mohla Manpur in Chhattisgarh and Palamu, Katihar, Dumka, and Garwa in Jharkhand.

Hybrid seeds have been distributed for the current Kharif season. Farmers are encouraged to pre-register on NCCF’s e-Samyukti portal to sell their produce to the cooperative. Offline applications are available for less tech-savvy farmers.

The NCCF will purchase harvested pulses at the minimum support price (MSP). However, farmers can sell to private traders if market prices exceed the MSP. Chandra mentioned that the assured buying will motivate farmers to expand cultivation, improve their income, and help lessen India’s pulse imports.

NCCF procures pulses for government buffer stocks and aims to source half its target quantity through this initiative. The cooperative also works contract farming with pulses growers, allowing them to sell to NCCF or private traders.

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