Area Under Pulse Cultivation Expected to Rise Following Significant Hike in Support Prices

14-May-2026 08:36 PM

New Delhi: Due to domestic demand outpacing production, the country is compelled to import massive quantities of pulses from abroad every year—an endeavor that entails the expenditure of substantial and valuable foreign exchange. The primary pulses included in these imports are Arhar (Tur), Urad, Gram (Chana), Masur (Lentil), and Yellow Peas.

Among these, Gram, Masur, and Peas are cultivated during the Rabi season, while Tur is produced during the Kharif season. Urad, much like Moong, is sown across all three seasons—Kharif, Rabi, and Summer; however, Moong is currently not imported into India, as a ban on its import has been in effect since February 2022.

The government is making every possible policy effort to boost domestic pulse production and reduce dependence on imports. As part of these initiatives, mini-kits of seeds are distributed to farmers, higher support prices are fixed for pulse crops, and large-scale procurement of pulses from farmers is undertaken at these support prices.

Continuing this series of initiatives, the Central Government has once again announced a substantial hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Kharif-season pulse crops, specifically Tur and Urad. For the 2026-27 season—compared to the 2025-26 season—the MSP for Tur has been raised by ₹450, moving from ₹8,000 per quintal to ₹8,450 per quintal, while the MSP for Urad has been increased by ₹400, rising from ₹7,800 per quintal to ₹8,200 per quintal.

As for Moong, its Minimum Support Price has been set at ₹8,780 per quintal—a marginal increase of just ₹12 over the previous rate of ₹8,768 per quintal. While the country currently witnesses adequate domestic production of Moong, the yields for Tur and Urad remain relatively low; the government's objective is to boost the production of these specific pulses.