Govt to take necessary steps to ensure availability of pulses at affordable prices

New Delhi, Dec 15 (IANS) With a view to ensure availability of pulses at affordable prices, the Department of Consumer Affairs will take all necessary steps required to support Indian farmers to produce more pulses.

Importers will also be supported for seamless imports of pulses so that the pulses are available to the consumers at affordable prices, throughout 2023, said Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said at a meeting with pulses associations in India on Thursday.

Officials said that global availability in the coming year is expected to be better with increase in production expected from Myanmar, where arrivals have started and pulses sowing intentions in African countries indicating increase in area coverage under pulses, which will be available from August 2023 onwards. This will keep the consistent flow of pulses imports and can address concerns related to availability.

Singh further reiterated the importance of both domestic production and the imports of pulses especially tur, urad, and masoor.

Expectations from the meeting were spelt clearly to get the industry views.

Representatives from the India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the Overseas Agro Traders Association (OATA Myanmar), the All India Dal Mills Association, the Tamil Nadu Pulses Importers and Exporters Association, iGrain, etc have participated in the meeting.

The representatives of the participating associations expressed that the import policy consistency had helped for regular flow of imports into the India subcontinent keeping the price under control all through the year.

There were few suggestions related to speedy increasing domestic pulses production, port clearance, exploring new geographies to minimise import dependency on few countries, extension of stable policy regime etc.

Officials said that the Department of Consumer Affairs conducts regular interactions with pulses associations in India and at major exporting countries to assess the pulse of pulses industry and initiate necessary policy measures.