Gujarat impact? Govt raises import duty on two varieties of pulses by 30%

BJP won recent state elections with a smaller majority and the displeasure was due to distress in farm sector; floor support price increased for rapeseed

The central government raised the import duty on two varieties of pulses, chana (chickpea) and masoor (red gram) to 30 per cent. And, hiked the Minimum Support Price for toria, a variety of oilseed grown largely in Rajasthan, by around 9.5 per cent to Rs 3,900 a quintal.

It also indicated it might further increase the import duty on wheat; this was raised to 20 per cent only last month, after private traders imported about a million tonnes of wheat since April at 10 per cent duty.

These moves come in the wake of the election in Gujarat, where the ruling party