Help farmers shift from paddy to pulses, SC suggests to govt

NEW DELHI: Suggesting a major reboot in agricultural policy, Supreme Court Friday asked the Union govt to deliberate with domain experts and stakeholders to devise a remunerative framework to encourage farmers to shift from traditional wheat and paddy crops to pulses.

During the hearing on a PIL questioning the govt's wisdom in importing yellow peas initially without import duty, which at present is pegged at 30%, additional solicitor general N Venkataraman told a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi that shortfall of 30 lakh tonnes in production of pulses between 2021 and 2024 had forced govt to import yellow peas to stabilise prices and guard consumer interest.

CJI Kant, hailing from a farming family, said the govt provided minimum support prices (MSPs) for wheat, rice and millets but not for pulses.

"The moment you make sure farmers get remunerative MSP for pulses, whose production from a given area is less compared to paddy or wheat from the same area, the production will automatically increase. Otherwise, small farmers would not risk growing pulses as they are not sure whether it would fetch them the cost of investment and labour," said CJI Kant. "Please ask your agriculture ministry to consult those who understand the pulse of farmers and not foreign degree holders," he said, adding that not only guaranteed price for pulses but a guaranteed place for sale of pulses grown by farmers would have to be provided in the policy to encourage increase in pulse cultivation.

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Prashant Bhushan said the CJI's views were reflected verbatim in the recent report of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), a statutory body attached to the agriculture ministry which recommends MSP for 22 crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane.

In its order, the bench said, "Different ministries of Union govt need to have better coordination and understanding and establish a mechanism under the aegis of ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare to promote pulses as a substitute of wheat or paddy in northern and central India and as a substitute for some other crops in southern India."

"In the absence of an incentivised MSP for pulses, the price offered should be sufficient to meet the expenses of small farmers growing pulses," the SC bench added.tn

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