Pulses output may touch 20 mt in 2016-17

With finger on pulse prices, Centre to bridge demand-supply gap

After two years of deficit, India’s pulses output is likely to rise 18 per cent to around 20 million tonnes (mt) in 2016-17, which could ease the pressure on prices.

However, in the interim, the Centre has planned to import 200,000 tonnes of arhar from Mozambique. It is also looking to import a similar quantity of urad from Myanmar either on government-to-government basis or through agreement with private trade bodies. The government is importing pulses at minimum support price (MSP) plus cost to ensure domestic farmers are not disincentivised.

“We are committed to keeping pulses prices under check this year and the Centre is doing everything possible to bridge the demand and supply gap which has widened due to production shortage in 2015-16,” Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan told reporters.  

He said the Centre would try and import pulses to augment supplies for the short term. For the long term, the MSP of pulses has been raised to improve production.

“Because of persistent increase in MSPs, there is a chance that pulses production in 2016-17 might be somewhere around 20 mt, around 3 mt more than the current rate,” Paswan added.

Pulses output declined to 17.15 mt in 2014-15 crop year from 19 mt in the previous year owing to drought. In 2015-16, pulses output further dipped to 17.06 mt on poor monsoon. Annual domestic demand is pegged at 23.5 mt.

Asking states to take “equal responsibility”, the food minister said state governments should lift pulses from the central buffer stock for retail distribution at a rate not exceeding Rs 120 a kg.

The Centre is creating a buffer stock to make intervention in the market and sell pulses at reasonable rates, he said.

“Since production is lower in Mozambique, we will import about 100,000 tonnes in the first year and 123,000 tonnes in the second, taking the total to 200,000 tonnes in the next five years.”

Also Read: Route Cleared For Pulses From Mozambique
 

Adding: “We are talking to all African nations for pulse imports. Even other pulse-growing nations are also being contacted.... the government is committed to controlling unnecessary increase in prices of pulses.”

In retail markets, the rates of chana, tur, urad, moong and masoor are ruling as high as Rs 110, Rs 162, Rs 198, Rs 130 and Rs 107 a kg, respectively, according to government data.