India Extends Duty-Free Yellow Pea Imports to Counter Soaring Pulse Prices

In a recent notification, India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) announced the extension of duty-free imports of yellow peas by another two months, extending the timeline to December 2024. This decision follows the central government’s earlier announcements, which moved the duty-free period from March 2024 to June, and later to October.

The duty on yellow peas, initially set at 50 percent in November 2017, has been a significant factor in the import scenario. India, a major consumer and producer of pulses, imports yellow peas mainly from Canada and Russia to meet its consumption needs.

India’s appetite for protein-rich diets has driven an increase in pulse consumption, but domestic production hasn’t kept up with the demand. While production rose to 24.5 million tonnes in 2023-24 from 16.3 million tonnes in 2015-16, the demand has surged to 27 million tonnes. This gap has led to a substantial increase in imports, which nearly doubled to USD 3.74 billion in 2023-24.

Despite multiple government initiatives to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses, including farmer incentives, imports have continued to rise. The import volume was estimated at 47 lakh tonnes in 2023-24, with shipments from countries like Myanmar, Australia, Russia, Canada, and several African nations.

India primarily consumes various pulses such as chana, masur, urad, Kabuli chana, and tur. Despite being a leading producer globally, the nation’s internal production struggles to meet the escalating demand, making imports essential to bridge the gap. (ANI)

This article has been republished from The Devdiscourse.