India’s pulses imports stood at 27.48 lakh tonnes in Apr-Oct

The Dollar Business Bureau

In order to meet domestic demand, India has imported 27.48 lakh tonnes of pulses in the period April-October of the current fiscal, the government said.

Overall pulses imports by the government agencies and private sector stood at 27,48,473 tonnes, said C R Chaudhary, Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs, in a written response to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The country had imported 57.97 lakh tonnes of pulses in the last fiscal, as per the data provided by the minister.

“The government has permitted to create up to 20 lakh tonnes of buffer stock of pulses through local procurement and imports,” Chaudhary said.

Pulses for buffer stock are procured at the current market rate if the prevailing market rate is more than the minimum support price (MSP) and at MSP, if market rate is less than the MSP,” he added.

For creation of the buffer stock, the government has contracted an import of 4.06 lakh tonnes of pulses, through Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation (MMTC) and State Trading Corporation (STC). Out of which, 81,985 tonnes of pulses has already arrived in the country, the Minister said.

The production of pulses in the country declined in the crop year 2015-16 (July-June) to 16.5 million tonnes, on account of poor monsoon.

However, the government is expecting production of 20.75 million tonnes of pulses in current year due to good monsoon.

It also expects output of 13.5 million tonnes from the ensuing rabi season whereas 8.7 million tonnes of production is expected from the just-completed kharif season.