The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) and the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC) jointly organized the World Pulses Day on February 9&10, 2020 in New Delhi.

Based on the successful implementation of the 2016 International Year of Pulses, wherein FAO played a lead role, the UN General Assembly, in December 2018, endorsed the annual observance of the World Pulses Day on 10 February. World Pulses Day presents an opportunity to remind the world of the role of pulses in addressing food security challenges and their contribution to achieving a healthy, balanced diet, and healthy planet. The theme of this year is ‘Plant Proteins for a Sustainable Future’, aiming to highlight the role of pulses as an important source of plant protein and their valuable contribution towards sustainable agriculture, particularly significant to the SDG Agenda.

The event was inaugurated by Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development & Panchayti Raj, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar. Member, Niti Aayog, Prof. Ramesh Chand; Minister of Food, Civil Supplies & Public Distribution, Youth Affairs, Shri Manoj Kant Deb; President, GPC, Ms Cindy Brown; Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, Shri Sanjeev Chopra were present at this event. The event was attended by senior Government of India officials, both at national and state level; relevant industry members and representatives from the farming community. The meeting was also attended by of overseas delegates from Canada, Australia, Argentina, UAE, and Myanmar. The participants deliberated on various issues related to sustainable production, consumption, markets and nutritional value of pulses.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s (FAO) report titled ‘Global Economy of Pulses’ was released during the plenary session of the event. This report indicates that there is a pressing need to close the large gap between potential and actual yields, particularly on smallholder farms. Speaking at the event, Mr Tomio Shichiri, FAO representative in India, highlighted the fact that India, as the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world, should share its experience with other emerging economies and lead this global effort to promote the integration of pulses in crop production systems and their contribution to improved nutrition.

Shri Sanjeev Kumar Chadha, Managing Director, NAFED, while expressing his appreciation for successfully organizing a seminal international event focused on pulses, hoped that the deliberations of the meeting will contribute towards future policy planning for management of pulses in India.