Consumer Affairs Ministry Looks for Removal of Import Bar to Check Hike in Pulses Price

A senior official informed that the consumer affairs ministry is looking for removal of assessable limitation on import of pulses to preempt any price rise because of low production.

This year, the government has allowed the import of 400,000 tonnes of tur dal and the window closed this Friday. The import window for urad and moong had closed earlier on October 31. The consumer affairs ministry official said that “Like onion, pulses may also see a steep price rise. Delay in allowing imports will not help".

Prices of pulses have crossed the Rs 100 a kilogram especially tur dal. According to the data from food ministry, the pulses available is just enough to meet the domestic requirement and if there is increment in the demand, it will result in shortage.

The official said that “We need more supply through imports to ease pressure. Restrictions on imports make sense when production is ample. But in such a situation, when pulses output is estimated to be low, restrictions will increase prices".

This year, the domestic demand for pulses has been fixed at 25.4 million tonnes (MT). About 25.6 MT commodity is available in the country which includes 0.8 MT of tur and 1.5 MT of chana.

The official said that “Crops of pulses, including tur, are reportedly damaged due to excessive rain in Karnataka and Maharashtra. We will need imports to cool prices”. Almost 50% of the Urad is damaged in the major growing states of Madhya Pradesh in excessive rain.

Zaverchand Bheda, Chairman of the Indian Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA) said “India’s pulses imports are expected to jump significantly to meet the deficit. We are waiting for the government to open up imports”.

The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India and Mother Dairy were asked by the government to sell pulses at Rs 85 a kg in the retail market.