Pulses imports have hit a 7-year high

Pulses imports in April 2024 led to significant inflation in India’s food prices, affecting staples like roti and dal

Key Highlights:

• Consumer price index for cereals in April 2024 was 8.63% higher than in April 2023.
• Retail inflation for pulses in April 2024 was 16.84%, nearly twice that of cereals.
• Patchy monsoon and winter rain caused a decline in domestic pulses production.
• Major pulses import quantity increased to 4.54 mt in 2023-24 from 2.37 mt in previous fiscal years.

Government Actions

• Import Regulations:
  • Phased out tariffs and restrictions on imports of pulses.
  • Lifted annual QRs and duties on arhar/tur, urad, moong, and masoor.
• Duty-Free Imports:
  • Permitted duty-free imports of arhar/tur, urad, masoor, and desi chana until March 2025.
  • Extended import permissions for yellow/white peas beyond October 2024.

Ref: Source