Lok Sabha Question No. 5776 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-03
Subject: Demand and Supply of Pulses
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, DHARMENDRA YADAV

## Government of India

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5776 (OIH)

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.04.2018

## DEMAND AND SUPPLY OF PULSES

5776.  SHRI  SHRIRANG  APPA  BARNE:  DR.  SHRIKANT  EKNATH  SHINDE:  DR. PRITAM  GOPINATH  MUNDE:  SHRI  VINAYAK  BHAURAO  RAUT:  SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV: (OIH)

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  there  is  shortage  of  pulses  in  the  country  as  the  production  of  pulses continues to be lower than the estimated demand and if so, the annual estimated demand of  pulses  and  the  extent  to  which  the  production  is  falling  short  of  the demand;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  hired  a  consultant  to  advise  it  on  engaging  a professional agency for efficient management of buffer stock of pulses that is being created  for  use  in  times  of  price  rise  and  if  so,  the  reasons  for  engaging  private consultant;
- (c) whether the Government has fixed a target of 20 lakh tonnes buffer stock of pulses and if so, the details of the buffer stock of pulses built so far; and
- (d) whether the Government has imported pulses to create buffer stock and if so, the price difference between imported pulses and purchase from the domestic growers, pulse-wise?

## 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) :      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.  As  per  the  Report  of  Working  of  the  erstwhile  Planning Commission  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.
- (b)      :        PwC  was  selected  and  engaged  through  an  open  tender  process,  in  which participation by all interested and eligible agencies, whether Government or Private, was permitted.

(c)  &  (d)  :  Government  approved creation of a dynamic buffer of upto 20 lakh MT of pulses. As on 26.03.2018, 13.29 lakh is available in the buffer after disposal of 7.21 lakh MT from the total  stock  of  20.50  lakh  MT,  of  which  16.71  lakh  tonnes  was  procured domestically and 3.79 lakh MT was imported.

The decision of the Government to import pulses towards building buffer stock was guided by domestic price and availability position, and import contracts were generally accepted when the then prevailing domestic prices of pulses were higher than the landed cost  of  the  imported  pulses.  However,  in  view  of  the  bumper  production  of  pulses,  no further import has been contracted by the Government after November, 2016.

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