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Centre allows pulses import despite overflowing godowns
News:
- The government allows pulses import despite surplus stocks.
Important facts:
- The centre has allocated quotas for import of pulses and enforcing additional imports agreements with Mozambique.
- The allocations of quotas were made at the Directorate-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) meeting.
- Agriculture Commissioner predicts domestic pulses production of 24 million tonnes in 2018-19 because of good monsoon.
- good production leads to fall in prices of pulses
- Allocation of quotas:
- For Tur or arhar Dal: 2 lakh tonnes
- Moong and Urrad: 1.5 lakh tonnes
7.Reasons given by the government behind this decision:
- Balancing the needs of Indian consumers
- Fulfilling the Commitments to foreign trade partners
- However, the farmer’s groups are not happy with the government’s decision and agitating about falling crop prices.
- Agreements signed
- In 2016, India signed an MoU to double pulses imports from the East African nations.
- This obligates India to buy 1.5 lakh tonnes from Mozambique this year.
- The government has also explored the possibility of similar agreement with Kenya.