Bundelkhand to make up for reduced pulse production

Alarmed by the increasing prices of pulses in the retail market, the state and union governments have decided to take steps to increase its production by promoting acreage and yield in Bundelkhand area of Uttar Pradesh.

The country is far from being self-reliant in pulse production and is currently importing the foodgrain from the international market.

The state government and the Centre have planned a pulses development programme called ‘A3P’ aimed at bridging demand and supply gap.

According to the Indian Institute of Pulse Research (IIPR) Director Masood Ali, the government has sanctioned a handsome budget for the purpose.

The programme comprises setting up of Kisan Agriculture University (KAU) where the tested breeder seeds will be made available to the peasants.

The farmers choosing to buy seeds from these centres will be provided a subsidy of Rs 1,000 per quintal on the market price of seeds.

The project is expected to begin from the upcoming rabi season itself, wherein the pulses will be sowed on the meanders carved especially for the purpose.

“This new cultivation technique will benefit the farmers by saving water loss and in case of flooding, the excess water will drain out expeditiously thereby minimising the adverse effect,” said Ali.

The project will be carried out on an experimental basis across a stretch of 25,000 hectares.

The step has been mulled after research showed that the shortfall in pulse production can be easily fulfiled by encouraging pulses cultivation in Bundelkhand region.

The region already tops the chart in pulse production in the country. The project aims to increase the cultivation area by at least 50 per cent in the next five years in a phased manner.

The government has already imparted two-day training to Hamirpur agriculture institute Director Umesh Katiyar for further canvassing of the new techniques among the farmers.

The agency will organise weekly awareness camps for marketing of the novel technology.

“The cultivation of pulses on ridges will help to retain moisture in the soil despite the low irrigation. The farmers will be provided a special machine called ‘ridgemaker’ for the purpose of drawing ridges and meanders,” Katiyar told Business Standard.

The machine will be subsidised by an amount of Rs 10,000 for the farmers. The government has also made it mandatory to buy a specially-designed storage pot for preserving expensive pulse seeds.

The project will be monitored by Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) run by the central government.

The agency will hire 25 technical experts for imparting training to the farmers across Bundelkhand and also work out plans for setting up pulse grinding mills for easy and swift processing of the harvest, apart from ‘seed banks’ at the village level.

A number of sops like free seeds pot, crop insurance and irrigation pipes will also be provided to the farmers for encouraging pulses cultivation.