Import of pulses up 26% to 5.79 mt in FY16

Import of pulses rose 26 per cent to 5.79 million tonnes  (mt) last financial year to meet rising domestic demand, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. India had imported 4.58 mt during 2014-15.

"There has been a gap between the demand and supply of pulses in the country during the last year and the current year as the domestic demand for pulses is higher than the domestic production," Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

The production of pulses is estimated to have risen to 17.33 MT in 2015-16, as against 17.15 MT in the previous year.

According to data, the gap between demand and supply was 0.8 MT in 2015-16. The demand was estimated at 23.66 MT as against the total availability of 22.86 MT.

"The shortfall in domestic production has been due to adverse weather conditions and the rise in demand on account of rise in population, rise in per capita income and change in food habits among others," Paswan said.

"Black-marketing/hoarding has also put pressure on prices of pulses," he said.

In order to check the rise in prices of pulses as well as protect the interest of farmers, Paswan said the government has initiated Price Support Scheme.

The minimum support price (MSP) of pulses has also been increased to encourage farmers to grow more pulses. Further, a buffer stock of pulses has been built with support from Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) both through domestic procurement directly from farmers as well as imports.

"All these initiatives will increase availability of pulses, thereby stabilising their prices," he added.