Supreme Court Calls for Major Agricultural Policy Overhaul to Boost Pulse Production
In a significant intervention aimed at transforming India's agricultural landscape, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Union government to undertake comprehensive consultations with domain experts and stakeholders. The objective is to develop a remunerative framework that incentivizes farmers to transition from cultivating traditional staple crops like wheat and paddy to pulses.
Addressing the Pulse Production Shortfall
The directive came during a hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that questioned the government's decision to import yellow peas initially without imposing any import duty. Currently, the duty stands at 30%. Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman informed the bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, that a production shortfall of 30 lakh tonnes in pulses between 2021 and 2024 compelled the government to resort to imports. This measure was taken to stabilize market prices and protect consumer interests.
CJI's Emphasis on Remunerative MSP for Pulses
Chief Justice Surya Kant, who hails from a farming family, highlighted a critical policy gap. He noted that while the government provides Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for crops such as wheat, rice, and millets, pulses are conspicuously absent from this list. "The moment you ensure farmers receive a remunerative MSP for pulses, whose yield per unit area is lower compared to paddy or wheat, production will automatically increase," CJI Kant asserted.
He elaborated that without such financial security, small-scale farmers are reluctant to cultivate pulses due to uncertainty over recovering their investment and labor costs. "Please ask your agriculture ministry to consult those who understand the pulse of farmers and not foreign degree holders," the CJI advised, stressing the need for both a guaranteed price and a guaranteed marketplace for pulses produced by farmers to genuinely encourage a shift in cultivation patterns.
Alignment with Expert Recommendations
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, pointed out that the Chief Justice's observations were mirrored almost verbatim in a recent report by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). This statutory body, affiliated with the agriculture ministry, is responsible for recommending MSPs for 22 crops and the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane.
Court's Directive for Coordinated Policy Action
In its formal order, the Supreme Court bench emphasized the necessity for improved coordination among various Union government ministries. It called for the establishment of a dedicated mechanism under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to promote pulses as a viable substitute for wheat or paddy in northern and central India, and for other crops in southern regions.
"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 bench explicitly stated, underscoring the need for a policy that safeguards the economic viability of pulse cultivation for India's agrarian community.
