India will have to import 80-100 lakh ton of pulses by 2030

NEW DELHI: India will have to import 80-100 lakh tonnes of pulses by 2030 to meet domestic demand if the existing government policies of giving huge subsidies on paddy continue, said agri-economist Ashok Gulati.

There is a need to provide incentives to farmers to grow pulses, which require less water compared to paddy and are more nutritious also, he said.

Gulati, the former Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), emphasised on having “crop-neutral incentive structure” to encourage farmers to grow pulses and oilseeds for making India self-sufficient.PTI