Government will import an additional quantity of 2000 tonnes of Arhar and 1000 tonnes of Urad dal. MMTC will float tender immediately. This was decided during a high level meeting on availability of pulses chaired by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha in New Delhi today. Mr. Sinha also reviewed the imposition of stock limits and the enforcement measures taken by States. He directed that all the 400 outlets of Kendriya Bhandar and Safal in Delhi should start distributing imported Tur dal soon.
Over 100 Kendriya Bhandar and Safal outlets have already commenced distribution of imported Tur dal in Delhi at Rs 120 per kilo. The Cabinet Secretary informed the State Governments of the decision to create a buffer stock of pulses through procurement and directed that all states should be ready with their preparatory work for procurement in the ensuing Kharif season starting from November, 2015.
The country consumes around 23 million metric tons (MMT) of pulses. But production has stagnated at around 18 to 19 MMT for several years now. The shortfall is made up by imports, mainly from Canada, Myanmar and some African countries.
In 2014-15, production of pulses was clocked in at 17.4 MMT – a decline of 2.4 MMT over the previous year. This was caused by various factors including unseasonal rains, pests, and unprofitable prices offered to farmers even as import duties were waived.