'India can be self-sufficient in pulses in the next 3-5 yrs'

India, the world's largest importer of pulses, can become self-sufficient in production of this agricultural commodity in the next 3-5 years through the use of quality seed varieties and supportive government policy, global research body ICRISAT said today.

India imports three million tonnes of pulses annually to meet domestic shortages. Pulses production this year is estimated at 16.55 million tonnes, against demand of 17-18 million tonnes.

"India can become self-sufficient in pulses production in the next 3-5 years. We believe we can easily produce three million tonnes of pulses in the country itself," the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Director General William Dar told reporters here.

He said the institute has developed pulses seed varieties that are resistant to climate change and "some of them will be rolled out through a partnership with Indian research institutes like ICAR." 

Dar, who was here for the four-day 64th meeting of the ICRISAT governing board, which ended today, said there are pulses varieties that can be grown in the short and medium-term and adaptable to various ecology in India. 

Launching the 'ICRISAT South-South Initiative' to boost the India-Africa partnership in agri research for development, ICRISAT governing board Chair Nigel Poole said the initiative will help in exchange of research knowledge between the two countries for improving pulses and other agricultural production in dryland areas. 

Poole said there is a pessimistic view of tropical dryland farming. But ICRISAT has lot of evidence to show that market-oriented agriculture can be promoted in dryland farms.

About 65 per cent of the India's agriculture is under dryland farming. Even pulses are grown in dryland areas of about 23 million hectares in the country at present, he added. Hyderabad-based ICRISAT is the only global institute of agriculture, which has its headquarters in India.

The institute has released 57 varieties of chickpea and pigeonpea in India in the last 30-odd years, raising production of pulses. India is the third-largest donor to ICRISAT, which is a non-profit research body, contributing $7 million annually.