Army seeks to add organic pulses to troops’ diet NEW DELHI: In a move towards sustainable nutrition, the Indian Army has made its first-ever request to the consumer affairs department — responsible for creating and maintaining the country’s buffer stock of pulses — for the supply of organic pulses for its personnel.Organic pulses, grown without using synthetic pesticides, improve heart health, regulate blood sugar and aid weight management.TOI has learnt that work has started to procure and deliver organic pulses to the over 12.5-lakh strong force as a pilot, initially for a few tonnes. Govt cooperatives Nafed and NCCF have been tasked to identify sources for procurement of organic pulses and work out the supply chain from storage to delivery.“Discussions are going on with some farmer producer organisations (FPOs), other such entities and farmers producing organic. The procurement price of these pulses would be higher. But with the Army indicating to buy this, everything will be worked out,” said a person involved in the process. “Organic pulses have lesser shelf life and so we have to have a proper supply chain from farmgate to the consumption point. Proper certification of such pulses is also key.”Officials said the pilot, in a way, will help put an institutional requirement in place to encourage farmers to produce organic pulses as there will be assured demand. There are over half a dozen FPOs in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand which have over 100 tonnes of organic pulses, including chana, green gram, moong, urad and tur, they said.Current;y, organic agricultural products can use “Natural Farming Certified” only after “PGS India Natural” status to a product is assigned. This is a decentralised, peer-reviewed certification system for chemical-free farming under the agriculture ministry. It verifies that a farmer’s crops are grown without synthetic fertilisers.Organic products are also certified by independent third-party agencies govt accredited under govt’s National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) and are typically sold under the Jaivik Bharat mark governed by FSSAI, the country’s food safety regulator.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosMan Claiming To Be Ex-US Navy Officer Held At India-Nepal Border Without Travel Documents’I Am Not Gandhiji’: Kerala Double Murder Convict Shows No Remorse In CourtUS Inmate Matthew Aaron VanDyke Seeks Special Diet, Cooking Permission Inside Tihar JailMission $500 Billion: India, US Push To Deepen Trade Ties As Deal Nears CompletionMission $500 Billion: India, US Push To Deepen Trade Ties As Deal Nears CompletionCDS To Present Theatre Command Roadmap As India Moves Closer To Military ReformsSupreme Court Rejects Madrasa Salary Plea As Bengal Intensifies Policy Overhaul MeasuresLucknow-Kanpur Expressway Set To Slash Travel Time To 30 Minutes, But Toll Sparks Debate | WatchHealth Camp Horror? FIR Against TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee After Woman’s Leg AmputatedSupreme Court Pushes Dialogue Route In Gyanvapi Case, Refers Dispute To Special Lok Adalat123PhotostoriesWhy you can still cringe over something you said 10 years ago… but forget why you walked into the kitchen just seconds later10 beautiful baby names that symbolise new life and fresh beginningsAkshay Kumar’s go-to high-protein snack at 58 is packed with fiber and contains no chilliJuly New Moon 2026: Affirmations for your birth dateDo your knees hurt before it rains? Here’s why osteoarthritis pain gets worse during the monsoon, according to doctorsPigeons taking over your balcony? 7 Humane ways to keep them away without causing harmFrom grey saree elegance to embroidered sharara glam: Alia Bhatt masters two bridesmaid looks at Akansha Ranjan Kapoor’s wedding5 early symptoms of male pattern baldness every man should knowOTT releases this week (July 13 To July 19): ‘Murder 101’, ‘On Purpose with Jay Shetty’, ‘Transfer Trimurthulu’, ‘Ride or Die’ and moreInside Sumona Chakravarti’s stunning Mumbai home: Elegant décor, a beautiful living room and more123Hot PicksWWE Raw PreviewRajasthan PG admissionsSouth China SeaITR filingNepal protestLucknow-Kanpur ExpresswayEPFO amnesty schemeTaylor Swift and Travis KelceE20 petrol newsTop TrendingSamantha BuschMadurai AccidentITR filingFIFA World Cup 2026Karnataka Pakistani ArrestedGhaziabad Mall Rape MurderDelhi MurderTG TET 2026 resultGurgaon EncounterIran war
NEW DELHI: In a move towards sustainable nutrition, the Indian Army has made its first-ever request to the consumer affairs department — responsible for creating and maintaining the country’s buffer stock of pulses — for the supply of organic pulses for its personnel.Organic pulses, grown without using synthetic pesticides, improve heart health, regulate blood sugar and aid weight management.TOI has learnt that work has started to procure and deliver organic pulses to the over 12.5-lakh strong force as a pilot, initially for a few tonnes. Govt cooperatives Nafed and NCCF have been tasked to identify sources for procurement of organic pulses and work out the supply chain from storage to delivery.“Discussions are going on with some farmer producer organisations (FPOs), other such entities and farmers producing organic. The procurement price of these pulses would be higher. But with the Army indicating to buy this, everything will be worked out,” said a person involved in the process. “Organic pulses have lesser shelf life and so we have to have a proper supply chain from farmgate to the consumption point. Proper certification of such pulses is also key.”Officials said the pilot, in a way, will help put an institutional requirement in place to encourage farmers to produce organic pulses as there will be assured demand. There are over half a dozen FPOs in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand which have over 100 tonnes of organic pulses, including chana, green gram, moong, urad and tur, they said.Current;y, organic agricultural products can use “Natural Farming Certified” only after “PGS India Natural” status to a product is assigned. This is a decentralised, peer-reviewed certification system for chemical-free farming under the agriculture ministry. It verifies that a farmer’s crops are grown without synthetic fertilisers.Organic products are also certified by independent third-party agencies govt accredited under govt’s National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) and are typically sold under the Jaivik Bharat mark governed by FSSAI, the country’s food safety regulator.
