Chandigarh: Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana said that pulses are not only the backbone of the country’s nutritional security, but also play an important role in improving soil health, nitrogen fixation and reducing agricultural costs. In the changing climate scenario, pulse crops are emerging as a climate-resilient and sustainable option for farmers. The Haryana Government is continuously making efforts to promote pulses production in the state.
The Minister was addressing the National Consultation and Strategy Conference organized under the National Pulses Self-Sufficiency Mission by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Agriculture Department of the Government of Madhya Pradesh in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh today.
The Minister said that in 2022–23, the area under kharif pulses in Haryana was 70,000 acres, which has now increased to 100,000 acres. He stated that agricultural development is not possible without research and extension.
He said that along with increasing production, equal attention needs to be given to value addition, marketing, storage and price stability so that farmers can get a fair and remunerative price for their produce.
He further said that in Haryana, 24 crops are being procured at Minimum Support Price (MSP). Under the “National Pulses Mission”, better results are possible only through active participation of the states. In this direction, special focus is needed on strategies to increase productivity, access to seeds and technology, value chain and markets, farmer welfare and risk management, coordination among research-extension-private sector, and taking innovations to the fields through public-private partnership.
He said that this workshop will prove to be a milestone in preparing a “coordinated roadmap between the states and the Centre”. Haryana is committed to providing “full cooperation” to achieve the goals of this mission.
