Forum Paper From Farm Gate to Fiscal Gate: Seeds, Logistics, Value Chains and Public Finance in India’s Pulses Mission

Abstract

India’s pulses sector occupies a unique intersection between nutrition security, agricultural sustainability, rural livelihoods, and fiscal management. Despite being the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses, India has historically faced structural supply-demand gaps that necessitated periodic imports, exposing the economy to global volatility and fiscal risk. The launch of the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses in October 2025 (allocation INR 11,440 crore) marks a structural policy shift aimed at achieving self-sufficiency by 2030-31 through expansion of cultivated area to 310 lakh hectares, production increase to 350 lakh tonnes, and yield enhancement to 1130 kg/ha. This paper argues that achieving these targets requires an integrated reform framework built upon four pillars: strengthened seed systems, sustained research and lab-to-land translation, logistics-enabled value chain modernization, and digital public infrastructure. By conceptualizing logistic as a preventive fiscal efficiency lever, the paper demonstrates how farm-level productivity reforms translate into reduced procurement costs, lower fiscal volatility, import substitution and foreign exchange savings. The transition from farm gate to fiscal gate thus represents a structural alignment of agricultural policy with public finance sustainability and macroeconomic resilience.