Government to Import Pulses to “Improve Availability and Check Prices”

Notification for the Annual Import Quota of 4 LMT of Urad for Fiscal year 2021-22 Issued

The Government proposes to import pulses to improve availability and check prices. The notification for the annual import quota of 4 Lakh MT (LMT) of Urad for fiscal year 2021-22 has been issued. The details pertaining to production and import of pulses during each of the last three years is given below:

Table 1: Production and Import of Pulses
	Production of Pulses (LMT)			Import of Pulses (LMT)
Pulse	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21^	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21*
Tur	33.20	38.90	38.80	5.31	4.50	4.40
Urad	30.60	20.80	24.50	4.90	3.12	3.21
Masoor	12.30	11.00	13.50	2.49	8.54	11.01
Moong	24.60	25.10	26.20	0.84	0.69	0.52
Gram	99.40	118.00	116.20	1.86	3.71	2.91
Source: DACFW, ^2nd Advance Estimates				Source: DGCIS, *Up to 7.3.2021

The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980, empowers the Government to regulate prices, production, supply, distribution and prevention of hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities for maintaining their supplies and for securing their availability at fair prices.

The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) aims to increase domestic production of pulses through enhanced productivity, crop area expansion under pulses and promoting research and development for evolving better varieties. In addition, the Government announces Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops to ensure remunerative prices to farmers.

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in Lok Sabha 16 March 2021.