India's imports of pulses likely to decline in FY25 on good monsoon

Experts say imports likely to double in next 5 yrs if policies remain unchanged

After climbing to the highest level in more than five years to 4.7 million tonnes in FY24, India might import fewer quantities of pulses this financial year at 4-4.5 mt on the back of good monsoon and higher domestic production, Bimal Kothari, chairman of India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), said here on Friday.

Kothari was addressing reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on pulses titled “Bharat Dalhan-2024”.

Though imports this year might decline as compared to FY24, experts said that unless the current policies are changed, overall import of pulses might double to around 8-10 mt in the next five years.

“Self-sufficiency in pulses production cannot be achieved through ‘empty’ slogans. We need to work towards that through concerted policy prescription,” eminent agriculture economist and Distinguished Professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) Ashok Gulati said.

 

Gulati, who was part of the seminar, said that policies that are centred around fostering paddy production should be reversed and farmers in states like Punjab can be offered a subsidy of Rs 39,000 per hectare for five years for making a switch from paddy to pulses.

He said the subsidy should be supplemented by assured procurement, so that farmers are encouraged to shift from water-guzzling and excessively produced paddy to more in-demand pulses.

Meanwhile, IPGA demanded that the government frame a long-term policy for the Rs 2.5 lakh crore pulses market, as frequent changes in policies hurt the interest of all stakeholders. It also demanded the imposition of import duties on yellow peas.

Kothari said the country imported 1.6 mt of “masoor dal” in FY24. "We need only 1 mt imports of masoor dal,” he stressed.

The IPGA chairman said imports of yellow peas may also fall from the 2023-24 level. “In FY24, India imported a record 2 mt of yellow peas ever since imports were allowed, while another 1-1.5 mt will come in the next 3-4 months,” he said.

Kothari said the prices of pulses in wholesale markets have come down in the last month and are expected to ease further. Tur prices have come down by Rs 20/kg in wholesale markets in the past month. "Pulses prices will not increase this year, rather they will keep falling," Kothari said.

Pulses production has increased from 16.32 mt during 2015-16 to almost 25 mt in 2023-24 (as per 3rd Advance Estimates).