Lok Sabha Question No. 2812 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-13
Subject: Storm Water Drainage System
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: RITA TARAI

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2812

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2018

## INCREASING PRICES OF PULSES

2812.  SHRI RAVNEET SINGH: DR. KIRIT P. SOLANKI: SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE: SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  production  and  availability  of  pulses  is  expected  to  fall  and  there  is  a  gap between demand and supply of pulses in the country during the last year and the current year, if so, the details thereof along with the impact of such a gap on the prices of pulses;
- (b) whether  black-marketing/hoarding  played  a  vital  role  in  rising  prices  of  pulses  in  the country, if so, the number of such cases reported across the country during the said period, State/UT-wise along with the action taken thereon;
- (c) the  details  of  the  production,  demand,  supply  and  import  of  major  pulses  in  the  country during the said period, State/ Country-wise;
- (d) whether the Government has increased the limit of the buffer stock of pulses and requested the States to sell the pulses from the buffer stock at subsidized prices and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government has formulated/is formulating any long term strategy to contain rising  prices  of  pulses  or  plans  to  import  pulses,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the other steps taken/ being taken by the Government to bridge the gap between demand and supply  of  pulses,  curb  black-marketing/hoarding  of  pulses  and  to  ensure  remunerative prices of pulses to the of farmers;
- (f) whether the efforts being made by the Government towards increasing the production of pulses are not yielding expected success/results and if so, the reasons therefor; and
- (g) the steps being taken by the Government to procure pulses from Punjab?

## ANSWER

miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a) to  (c)  :  As  per  the  2 nd Advance  Estimates,2017-18  released  by  the  Department  of Agriculture,  Cooperation  &  Farmers  Welfare,  the  estimated  production  of  pulses  is  23.95 million tonnes in 2017-18 and 23.13 million tonnes in 2016-17 (Final Estimates). As per the Report  of  Working  Group  on  Food  grains  -  Balancing  Demand  &  Supply  During  12 th Five Years Plan, the average annual estimated demand of pulses in the country was 24.61 million tonnes  in  2016-17.  Any  mismatch  between  demand  and  supply  is  met  through  imports.  The details of  imports and  State-wise production  of pulses for the aforesaid period is at ANNEXURE .  Because  of  the  bumper  production  of  pulses  in  2016-17  and  concomitant improved supply and moderation in prices, stock limits on pulses were withdrawn.

- (d) :    Government has enhanced the limit of the buffer stock of pulses from 1.5 lakh MT in 2015-16 to upto 20 lakh MT in 2016-17. Pulses from the buffer were offered to States at rates that were lower than their cost to the Central Government.
- (e) & (f)   :   Government has taken various measures to contain the price rise of pulses which, inter alia,  include  appropriately  utilizing  trade  and  fiscal  policy  instruments  like  import  duty,  exportimport restrictions, etc. to regulate domestic availability and moderate prices; enabling imposition of stock limits as and when required; provision of higher Minimum Support Prices to incentivize farmers  for  increasing  production;  and  creation  of  buffer  stock  of  upto  20  lakh  MT  through domestic procurement and imports etc.

Production of pulses increased from 16.35 million MT in 2015-16 to 23.95 million MT in 2017-18 due, in part, to the concerted efforts of Government through its various schemes targeted at enhancing production of pulses.

- (g) :    No  procurement  of  pulses  has  been  reported  from  Punjab,  both  under  Price  Support Scheme and Price Stabilization Fund.

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  To  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2812 FOR 13.03.2018 REGARDING INCREASING PRICES OF PULSES.

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## A) State-wise Production of Pulses('000 MT)

| State            |   2016-17@ |   2017-18@ |
|------------------|------------|------------|
| Andhra Pradesh   |     1306.1 |     1144   |
| Assam            |       67.3 |      114   |
| Bihar            |      430.7 |      340.9 |
| Chhattisgarh     |      625   |      532.9 |
| Gujarat          |      839   |      857   |
| Haryana          |      218.3 |       58.9 |
| Himachal Pradesh |       52.3 |       60.7 |
| Jammu &Kashmir   |        8.3 |        8.6 |
| Jharkhand        |      729.5 |      784.7 |
| Karnataka        |     1426   |     1844.8 |
| Kerala           |        0.7 |        1   |
| Madhya Pradesh   |     5999.3 |     7793.1 |
| Maharashtra      |     3156.6 |     3303.1 |
| Odisha           |      418   |      429.9 |
| Punjab           |       58   |       21.7 |
| Rajasthan        |     2933.1 |     3108.9 |
| Tamil Nadu       |      587.3 |      545.4 |
| Telangana        |      398   |      448.4 |
| Uttar Pradesh    |     2302.3 |     1985   |
| Uttarakhand      |       56   |       60   |
| West Bengal      |      343.8 |      354.5 |
| Others           |      181.3 |      150.1 |
| All India        |    22136.6 |    23947.6 |

@:2 nd  Advance Estimates, 2016-17 & 2017-18

Source:-D/o Economic & Statistics, D/o Agriculture, Cooperation & Famers Welfare

- B) Country-wise Import of Pulses in MT

| COUNTRY      | 2016-17   | 2017-18 (Apr to Jan)   |
|--------------|-----------|------------------------|
| CANADA       | 2,402,422 | 1,679,780              |
| AUSTRALIA    | 1,174,151 | 1,211,976              |
| RUSSIA       | 392,274   | 605,708                |
| MYANMAR      | 653,874   | 549,928                |
| UKRAINE      | 157,317   | 384,121                |
| ROMANIA      | 44,195    | 176,122                |
| MOZAMBIQUE   | 197,936   | 119,440                |
| FRANCE       | 216,364   | 90,795                 |
| U S A        | 319,251   | 88,428                 |
| TANZANIA REP | 297,803   | 83,191                 |
| BULGARIA     | 15,849    | 58,609                 |
| SUDAN        | 59,909    | 55,588                 |
| LITHUANIA    | 284,964   | 52,283                 |
| CHINA P RP   | 67,175    | 38,909                 |
| GERMANY      | 23,069    | 25,979                 |
| ARGENTINA    | 31,833    | 21,971                 |
| ETHIOPIA     | 34,137    | 20,230                 |
| MALAWI       | 46,612    | 12,369                 |
| UZBEKISTAN   | 23,436    | 10,633                 |
| AFGHANISTAN  | 12,718    | 10,207                 |
| Others       | 147,087   | 34,050                 |
| Grand Total  | 6,609,487 | 5,330,317              |

Note:  Figures  pertaining  to  the  current  financial  year  2017-18  is  Provisional  and  subject  to changes.

Source:Directorate General  of  Commercial  Intelligence  and  Statistics  (DGCIS),  M/o Commerce & Industry

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