This move is expected to help importers bring in more Kabuli chana into India ahead of the festival season. Pulses, including kabuli chana, are widely used in snack making and consumed as a source of proteins.
An official gazette notification was put out late on Thursday, but it did not mention the reasons behind the exemption given on this particular pulse.
On June 21, the government imposed stock limits on pulses applicable to wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers, millers, and importers, to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, and also to improve affordability to the consumers.
Under this order, stock limits were imposed for tur and chana, including Kabuli chana, until September 30, 2024, for all States and Union Territories.
Stock limits applicable to each of the pulse individually will be 200 MT for wholesalers; 5 MT for retailers; 5 MT at each retail outlet and 200 MT at the depot for big chain retailers; last 3 months of production or 25 per cent of annual installed capacity, whichever is higher, for the millers.
In respect of importers, the importers are not to hold imported stock beyond 45 days from the date of Customs clearance.
The respective legal entities are to declare the stock position on the portal (https://fcainfoweb.nic.in/psp) of the Department of Consumer Affairs and in case the stocks held by them are higher than the prescribed limits then, they shall bring the same to the prescribed stock limits by July 12, 2024.
The imposition of stock limits on tur and chana is a part of a slew of measures taken by the Government to crack down on prices of essential commodities. The Department of Consumer Affairs has been closely monitoring the stock position of pulses through the stock disclosure portal.
The Centre had, in the first week of April 2024 communicated with State governments to enforce mandatory stock disclosure by all stockholding entities, which was followed up with visits to major pulses producing States and trading hubs across the country from the last week of April to May 10, 2024.
The government reduced the import duty of 66 per cent on desi chana from May 4, 2024 in order to augment domestic production.
“The duty reduction has facilitated imports and elicit higher sowing of chana in major producing countries. As per report, chana production in Australia is estimated to increase from 5 lakh tons in 2023-24 to 11 lakh tons in 2024-25 which is expected to be available from October 2024 onward,” the food ministry had said in June.
Sowing of Kharif pulses like tur and urad is expected to increase significantly in this season due to high price realization by farmers and above-normal monsoon rains predicted by IMD.
Further, import of the current year’s crop of tur from East African countries are expected to arrive from August 2024 onward.
These factors are expected to help in bringing down the prices of Kharif pulses like tur and urad in the coming month. The arrival new crop of chana in Australia and its availability for import from October 2024 will help in maintaining the availability of chana to consumers at affordable prices.
India is a large consumer and grower of pulses and it meets a portion of its consumption needs through imports.
India primarily consumes chana, Masur, urad, Kabuli chana, and tur pulses.
Despite several measures, including various incentives to farmers, India is still dependent on imports of pulses for its domestic requirements. Pulses imports have almost doubled in 2023-24. (ANI)
