Pulse crisis: Why are pulse prices collapsing despite soaring demand?

Pulse Crisis: Why India’s Self-Reliance Dream Is Failing.

India claims to be on the path to self-sufficiency in pulses, yet imports are soaring to record levels. In 2024–25, India imported nearly 7.7 million metric tonnes of pulses — even higher than before. Despite this, the area under pulses cultivation has shrunk by about 3.1 million hectares over the past four years.

This contradiction — rising imports and shrinking cultivation — exposes a deeper crisis. The government’s grand vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) is faltering because farmers simply don’t find pulses profitable.

The New “Pulses Mission”

Recently, the Union Cabinet cleared a ₹11,440-crore Pulses Mission, aiming to make India self-sufficient by 2030–31. The plan seeks to:

• Expand pulses cultivation from 27.5 million to 31 million hectares.
• Raise output to 35 million tonnes.
• Improve productivity to 1,130 kg per hectare.

The mission will cover 416 districts, but experts question whether it can succeed without ensuring farmers fair and stable prices.

Without Assured Prices, No Plan Will Work

India has 35.9% of the world’s pulse cultivation area, but only 27.4% of global production. Despite being the largest cultivator by area, India is also the largest importer — a clear symptom of policy failure.

Officials and committees at the Agriculture Ministry and NITI Aayog keep proposing targets and plans, but without assured MSP (Minimum Support Price) and effective procurement, farmers are reluctant to grow pulses. Slogans alone cannot change their economic reality.

Why Farmers Are Turning Away

According to Agriculture Ministry data, the area under pulses fell from 30.73 million hectares in 2021–22 to 27.62 million hectares in 2024–25 — a drop of nearly 3.1 million hectares.

The reason is straightforward: falling prices. Despite high demand, mandi rates for major pulses are well below MSP:

• Tur (pigeon pea): ₹1,838 below MSP
• Moong (green gram): ₹2,250 below MSP
• Urad (black gram): ₹2,063 below MSP

Compared to August 2024, prices in August 2025 fell sharply — Tur down 42%, Urad down 20%, Chana down 18%.

This defies basic market logic — when demand outstrips supply, prices should rise. But with imports flooding the market, domestic farmers are the ones losing out.

The Import Paradox

India consumes about 29 million tonnes of pulses annually but produces only 25.24 million tonnes, leaving a shortfall of around 3.76 million tonnes. Instead of bridging that gap, imports have exceeded 7.65 million tonnes — nearly 1.9 million tonnes more than needed.

This oversupply has dragged prices below MSP, making pulse cultivation unviable. The question is obvious: why import more than the shortfall?
Is this simply mismanagement, or a deliberate policy tilt toward cheap consumer prices at the cost of farmers’ income?

A Shrinking Future

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah had declared in January 2024 that India would become self-reliant in pulses by December 2027, ending imports entirely. But at the current pace — with imports rising, prices falling, and farmers shifting to other crops — that goal looks increasingly unrealistic.

Unless the government ensures price stability and effective procurement, the Pulses Mission may end up as another well-intentioned plan buried under market realities.