Pulses imports may fall to 3.2 mt in 2013-14

Pulses imports are likely to come down to 3.2 million tonnes in the current fiscal compared to last financial year on higher domestic production and logistic jam in major exporting countries, an industry body said today.
The country exported about 3.6 million tonnes (mt) of pulses in the last fiscal, according to the data by India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA).
"Imports are set to come down to 3.2 mt in the current fiscal from about 3.6 mt in the last fiscal, as production in India has been on higher side in the last few years and there has also been logistic jam in exporting countries," IPGA Chairman Pravin Dongre told reporters here.

There has been logistic jam in the major pulses exporter Canada due to freezing temperature, he added.
Dongre said that average price of pulses in the current fiscal so far is at the same level of USD 500 per tonne of the last fiscal's.
Total production of pulses is expected increase this year (June-July) to touch 19 mt from the last year's record production of 18.45 mt.

The production of yellow peas, one the major pulses India imports, is expected to double this year, he added.
He said that the industry body "has urged the government to allow export of pulses".

Also, pulses should be included along with other grains in the Centre's ambitious food entitlement scheme, National Food Security Law (NFSL) and also be the part of public distribution system, he demanded.
He also announced that the Pulses Conclave will be organised on February 19-21 in Goa.