Kolkata pulses traders in a spot

The unabated price rise in pulses is likely to get no respite in the near future as Kolkata-based importers, accounting for 70 per cent of yellow pea imports and 20 per cent of total pulse imports in the country, have decided to halt their activities owing to continued harassment at the Kolkata port.

According Rajiv Singhania of ESAR Exports & Imports, customs officials were rejecting pulse cargoes randomly, terming them as inferior quality. According to the central government norms, commodities containing more than 0.25 per cent of mud (soil) should not be cleared for imports. Taking this norm as a benchmark, officials at the Kolkata port have been rejecting cargoes from exporting nations including Myanmar, Australia and Canada.

"We are being asked to return ships back to their place of origin despite the commodity meeting all other specified norms. Although, we have been facing this problem for the last one year, the situation has become critical in the last six months," Singhania said on the sidelines of the World Commodity Forum meet in Mumbai on Friday. Surprisingly, such cargoes were cleared at all other ports in the country including JNPT and Nhava Sheva, he added.

Port health office sends the commodity sample to the Central Food Laboratory, which in turn, tests it and sends the report. This process takes about 15 days resulting in demurrage charges going sky high. "Today, we are getting our cargo cleared by courts, which generally recommends a re-inspection by independent agencies and finding mud below the government specified norm, the cargo gets cleared. But, this is a time consuming exercise," said Singhania.