Chennai: For a water starved state like Tamil Nadu, so dependent on neighbouring states to sustain its agricultural operations, pulses could hold the key in giving a fillip to agriculture on fallow lands of paddy cultivation as it requires a lesser quantum of water, besides which it would help address the nutritional requirements of the population.

Experts claim that if cultivation of pulses is taken up in 11 million hectares of rice-fallow lands in the country and another 5 million hectares of land available for inter-crop cultivation, it could transform India and make it self-sufficient in pulses production. Within a short span of five years, India could emerge as a major exporter of pulses and cut down its imports.

“Currently, India is importing pulses to meet its requirement. About 4 – 5 million tons shortage of pulses could be met through area improvement, inter-crop cultivation and other agronomic practices,” Dr Dr S. A. Patil, consultant, Indo-Morocco Food Legume Initiative, MSSRF, said on Tuesday.

Of the 18 million ton requirement for the country per annum, the farmers are able to produce about 13 – 14 million tons of pulses and the shortfall is met through imports from Canada, Burma, Australia and other countries, claims Dr V. Selvam, executive director, MSSRF. He also informed that the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation’s (MSSRF) “regional consultation on enhancing productivity and profitability of pulses for addressing food and nutrition security” from Aug. 7 to 9 at MSSRF premises, Taramani, would bring farmers, researchers, academicians and policy makers from India and abroad to discuss several vital issues.

About 48 experts would attend the three-day international symposium, which will deliberate upon issues and challenges, understanding diversity and conservation strategies, policy issues, etc. The UN General Assembly has declared 2016 as International Year of Pulses to raise awareness about pulses for health and nutrition and to improve utilisation of pulses for soil fertility, climate change and nutrition.

“There is a need to break the rice, rice or rice, wheat cultivation pattern and introduce pulses as inter-crop. Pulses require less moisture and could be raised as short duration crop. They have numerous advantages including fixing nitrogen in the soil and helping the farm labourers as well,” said Dr S. A. Patil, who advocated the Karnataka model of raising pulses as inter-crop to be followed throughout India. A booklet on Pulse Panchayat for Protein Security was released on the occasion.