Govt won't extend duty-free import of yellow peas beyond Feb: Joshi

The government had allowed the duty-free import of yellow peas in December 2023 and subsequently extended it thrice till February 28 to boost domestic supplies after the local crop failed

Food Minister Prahlad Joshi on Thursday said the government will not extend duty-free import of yellow peas beyond February this year to protect the interest of farmers. The government allowed the duty-free import of yellow peas in December 2023 and extended it three times till February 28 to boost domestic supplies after the local crop failed. Before that, it imposed a hefty duty on yellow peas imports.

 

According to industry sources, India imported a record almost 6.7 million tonnes of pulses in 2024, of which yellow peas alone comprised around 2.9 million tonnes. Most of the imports have been below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) rates, around ₹56-85 per kilogramme, which could impact farmers’ earnings.

 

A final decision on imposing customs duty on yellow peas will be taken by a group of ministers, Joshi told reporters on the sidelines of the Pulses Conclave 2025. The minister also said that the government will review the free import policy for tur, urad, and masoor after assessing the domestic pulses production.

 

Meanwhile, India Pulses and Grain Association (IPGA) Chairman Bimal Kothari said that if the landed price of imported pulses was below the MSP, it might disincentive the growers. The industry expects the government to impose a 15-20 per cent import duty on yellow peas, he said, adding that the overall imports of pulses might decline in 2025 if the production of rabi pulses is good.

 

IPGA demands the government adopt a balanced "import policy" for pulses to ensure the cost of imported pulses is not lower than the minimum support price, Kothari said.

 

Tanzania offers land to Indian growers, seeks trade extension  Tanzania has offered Indian growers around 100,000 hectares of land on lease to grow pulses, amid a growing challenge from China which is also looking at similar deals. Tanzania seeks an extension of the trade agreement with India beyond March 2025.  Under the agreement, India buys around 200,000 tonnes of tur every year from Tanzania, but the country now wants to extend it till March 2027 and include 300,000 tonnes of tur, 150,000 tonnes of chana, and 150,000 tonnes of moong. Tanzania’s domestic pulses production is around 900,000 tonnes while the local consumption is around 150,000 tonnes per annum.  A senior official said that some Indian companies were already growing oilseeds in Tanzania, and noted that the leased land can be given in parcels of 5000 hectares each to Indian growers.