Model Answer
0 min readIntroduction
Pulses, a critical component of India’s food security and nutritional landscape, face persistent challenges in terms of production and productivity. India is the largest producer, consumer, and importer of pulses globally. Despite their importance, yields remain significantly lower than the global average, impacting farmer incomes and contributing to inflationary pressures. Several factors contribute to this predicament, demanding urgent attention and targeted interventions to bolster pulse production and ensure self-sufficiency. The recent volatility in pulse prices further underscores the need for sustainable solutions.
Factors Responsible for Low Production and Productivity
Several interconnected factors contribute to the low production and productivity of pulses in India:
- Agronomic Factors: Low genetic potential of varieties, imbalanced fertilizer use, prevalence of diseases (like wilt and sterility mosaic), and pest infestations (pod borers).
- Climatic Factors: Erratic rainfall, drought conditions, and increasing temperatures negatively impact pulse crops, particularly rainfed areas.
- Infrastructural Deficiencies: Inadequate irrigation facilities, poor storage infrastructure leading to post-harvest losses (estimated at 10-20%), and limited access to quality seeds.
- Socio-Economic Factors: Small and fragmented landholdings, lack of awareness among farmers about improved technologies, and a shift towards more remunerative cash crops.
Strategies for Enhancing Production and Productivity
Addressing these challenges requires a multi-pronged approach:
- Technological Interventions: Developing and promoting high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties through bio-fortification and genetic modification (subject to regulatory approvals).
- Improved Agronomic Practices: Promoting integrated nutrient management, efficient water use through micro-irrigation, and integrated pest management (IPM).
- Policy and Institutional Support: The Pulses Nutrition Scheme (PNS) aims to increase pulse consumption. Ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP) and procurement to incentivize farmers.
- Farmer-Centric Initiatives: Providing training and extension services to disseminate knowledge about best practices, promoting farmer producer organizations (FPOs) for collective bargaining and marketing.
- Infrastructure Development: Investing in rural infrastructure, including irrigation, storage, and transportation facilities.
Conclusion
Enhancing pulse production and productivity in India necessitates a holistic and sustained effort. Addressing the agronomic, climatic, infrastructural, and socio-economic challenges through technological advancements, supportive policies, and farmer empowerment is crucial. Focusing on improving seed quality, water management, and post-harvest infrastructure, alongside promoting climate-resilient varieties, will pave the way for a more secure and sustainable pulse economy. A shift towards value-added processing and marketing can further incentivize pulse cultivation.
Answer Length
This is a comprehensive model answer for learning purposes and may exceed the word limit. In the exam, always adhere to the prescribed word count.