“The production of pulses has been low this year and hence the prices were ruling high. Encouragement from the government will help farmers choose the crop,” said Suresh Agrawal, president, Dal Mill Association.
Prices of tur and urad jumped 8-10% last month which prompted the central government to set up a committee to monitor the situation pulses, although the prices have dropped since then.
Agrawal added that tur takes longer time in the field compared to moong and other pulses, which makes it the least preferred legume for farmers. The MSP of tur is also lower than moong at Rs 6600/quintal as opposed to Rs 7755 of moong.
India has already decided to import additional quantities of tur dal (pigeon peas) in the marketing year 2023-24 to meet the domestic demand as production in the country is expected to drop.
The marketing year for tur is from December to November.
Tur is mainly imported from east African nations and Myanmar. The Centre had earlier extended the import of tur and urad pulses under the ‘free’ category for another year, till March 31, 2024, according to a notification by the Department of Commerce.The decision has been taken to ensure seamless import of these pulses and palm oil to augment the domestic availability and ensure affordable rates for consumers.