The government may increase the pulses import quota for processors, said millers and traders. Lower supplies of tur in the domestic market and the global market have led to its prices firming up to Rs 100 a kg in the retail market. Prices of other pulses like urad dal and yellow peas were also bullish, they said.
The trade said the government may allow additional import of a few lakh tonnes of tur alone, apart from the existing quota of two lakh tonnes it has issued.
“After a hiatus of more than two years, tur prices are being bullish. We are also expecting uneven spread of monsoon in areas where the pulses are grown. Looking at this situation, the government may release additional import quota for tur and other pulses,” said Bimal Kothari, vicepresident, Indian Pulses and Grains Association.
The additional quota can be over 7-8 lakh tonne for tur only, said a trader in Delhi. For other pulses, he said the government and state agencies have stock and may offload it when required.
Kothari said that globally, tur production was less as for the past few years India had restricted imports. India imports tur from Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania, urad from Myanmar and yellow peas from Canada, Ukraine and Russia. Currently, India has allowed import of two lakh tonne of tur and 1.5 lakh tonne each of moong, urad and yellow peas.
Suresh Agrawal, president, All India Dal Millers Association said they have asked the Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu to allow them to import an additional 4 lakh tonnes of yellow peas, because of low supplies in India. “Monsoon will play an important factor in influencing prices of pulses and the government strategy to import. We may have to import pulses if monsoon is weak,” he said.
Tur, harvested recently, has seen a drop of 12 per cent-15 per cent in the rabi season. This resulted in a price hike of over 65 per cent in the past two months to Rs 5,600-5,700 per quintal, said Rajesh Paharia, a pulses and grain trader from Delhi. “We expect a drop in acreage of tur in kharif planting due to drought condition in Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra, he said.
Source :- Economictimes.indiatimes.com
