The importance of pulses is no less in India and abroad, but pulses have their own importance in traditional Indian food due to their nutritional value. It is clear from the proverb 'Eat pulses and bread - sing the praises of God'. It has been included in our life culture as a complete food.
Not only this, along with the diversity of pulses in different parts of the country, there is also a specific nature of their use. Urad and chickpea in Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh, Pigeon pea in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal and masoor dal in Maharashtra and southern states are used in various dishes.
Pulses are used in various forms throughout the country. Pulse crops have the ability to fix nitrogen, but require limited pesticides and fertilizers. This is why experts have been emphasizing developing pulse crops as crops that can adapt to changes in climate. Therefore, it has to be said that pulse crops have an important role in biodiversity conservation and natural farming.
Pulses are rich in fiber, vitamins, and microelements. Due to being low in quantity, they are not only gluten-free but also contain a high amount of iron. That is why it is recommended to include pulses in the diet of heart patients and diabetes patients. Anyway, pulses are the main source of protein in the vegetarian diet. But in the changing times, educating the young generation about a balanced diet and the importance of pulses in their diet is especially important. That too our generation is getting attracted towards fast food.
In natural farming, pulses were an important part of the crop cycle, but in the era of the Green Revolution, due to the importance given to wheat and paddy, farming fell out of the priority list. This also reduced the availability of comparative production persons. This is a health-related aspect. If we talk about the production of pulses, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh are leaders in the production of pulses. Gram accounts for 44.51 percent of the pulses produced across the country. Whereas the yield of Pigeon pea is 16.84 percent, Urad is 14.1 percent, Moong is 7.96 percent, Lentil is 6.38 percent and the remaining pulses are 10.18 percent.
Despite this, the availability of pulses in our diet is less. According to dietitians, the daily requirement of pulses per adult male and female is 60 and 55 grams respectively while the availability is 52 grams per person. Cyclical production of pulses has its problems. There is a cycle of ups and downs between demand and production in the market and due to this, pulses are often seen away from the plates of the poor. According to the assessment of agricultural experts, there is a difference between the production and demand of masoor dal in the country which is about 8 lakh tonnes, and urad dal which is 5 lakh tonnes.
India imported pulses worth Rs 16,628 crore in 2021-22, whereas in 2020-21 this figure was only Rs 11,938 crore. After the year 2015, the government set a target to increase its production and achieve self-reliance, due to which the area and productivity of pulses also increased in the last few years. Coordinated efforts are needed to ensure that the availability of pulses reaches the common man's plate.
Farmers producing pulses will have to be given subsidies and other facilities as incentives. There is no less risk in the cultivation of pulses. In such a situation, the risk of pulses-producing farmers can be reduced through crop insurance. It is also important that farmers use improved seeds and high-yielding varieties more and more. Infrastructure improvement is necessary for the production and marketing of pulses. There should also be trade agreements.
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