UP targets pulses crop area of 3 mn hectares: State Agriculture Minister

Uttar Pradesh plans to raise pulses crop area by 20% in 2025-26, targeting higher farm incomes and reducing India's dependence on imports

Uttar Pradesh (UP) plans to increase pulses crop area by 20 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to almost 3.1 million tonnes (mt) in 2025-26 as it seeks to strengthen farm incomes, state Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said.

 

He said the average productivity of pulses in UP is more than 12 quintals per hectare, which is significantly higher than the national average of 9.26 quintals per hectare.

 

“UP is among the top pulses producers in India. It ranked 4th in 2024–25 with a production of 3.08 mt, which is roughly 12 percent of the country’s aggregate pulses production of 25.68 mt,” he added. 

India is among the world’s largest producers and consumers of pulses, yet it imports 15 to 20 per cent of its annual demand to overcome production shortfall. 

In the FY25, imports jumped to over 7 mt, primarily from Canada, Russia, Australia, Myanmar, Africa etc.

 

Meanwhile, the Yogi Adityanath government has accorded emphasis to the distribution of high-quality seeds under the Pulses Self-Reliance Mission.

 

In 2025–26, more than 105,000 quintals of certified seeds were distributed under different schemes.

 

Under the free seed mini kit scheme, about 30,000 quintals of quality seeds were distributed in UP, which benefitted almost 300,000 farmers.

 

“The state government has also clocked robust procurement of pulses to the tune of over 75,000 tonnes in 2024-25,” Shahi added.

 

He also thanked Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for releasing ₹125 crore to promote pulses production in UP.

 

Elaborating the future strategy, Shahi said intercropping with sugarcane is being promoted to boost pulses production.

 

During the Rabi season of 2025-26, a special programme is being implemented to cultivate lentils over 40,000 hectares; and urad and moong over 1,00,000 hectares during the Zaid season.

 

Moreover, India also imports more than 50 per cent of its edible oil consumption.

 

Therefore, agri experts have suggested increasing the domestic production and productivity of oilseeds and pulses for self-reliance.

 

UP produces roughly 21 per cent of the total food grains, 10.8 per cent fruits, and 15.4 per cent of the vegetables in India. The agricultural sector contributes over 25 per cent to the UP gross state domestic product.