Lok Sabha Question No. 2541 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-09
Subject: Import of Arhar Dal
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shobha Karandlaje

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

## Government of India Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2541

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.07.2019

## IMPORT OF ARHAR DAL

## 2541.   KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE:

## 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 wholesale prices of Arhar Dal have crossed the minimum support level set by the Government after a gap of 2.5 years;
- (b) if  so,  the  factors  attributed  for  price  rise  in  pulses,  including  Arhar  Dal  and  the  steps taken to stabilise the price of pulses in the country;
- (c) whether the Government has allowed import of Arhar Dal from Mozambique, Myanmar and a few African countries and if so, the details thereof during the last three years;
- (d) whether the Government has asked NAFED to offload 2 lakh tonne of Arhar Dal in the open market and raised the import limit for private traders to help increase the availability and check price rise;
- (e) whether the Government has enough buffer stock of pulses, including Arhar Dal, if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the  details  of  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  reduce  dependence  on imported pulses?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh nkuos jkolkgsc nknkjko½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

(a)  &  (b)  :  Monthly  average  wholesale  price  of  Arhar  (Tur)  for  the  month  of  June,  2019  was  around ₹5,521/quintal whereas Minimum  Support Price (MSP) of Tur for 2018-19 Kharif season is ₹5,675/quintal.

The prices of pulses is influenced by various factors including production, gap between demand and supply, increase in demand because of rise in population and per capita income change in food habits, etc.

Government  has  taken  various  measures  including  initiatives  for  increasing  production  and productivity  of  pulses  through  National  Food  Security  Mission  (NFSM);  promulgating  appropriate Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  to  incentivize  production;  creation  of  pulses  buffer  of  upto  2  million tonnes and calibrated releases from this buffer from time to time; etc., to ensure availability and moderate its prices. Further, Government has also signed a MoU with Mozambique in July, 2016 for assured supply of Tur and other pulses. In addition, trade policy with respect to pulses are suitably amended from time to time to appropriately regulate availability of pulses.

(c)  &  (d)  :  Import  of  Arhar  dal  is  allowed  under  Quantitative  Restriction.  Government  has  raised  the import limit on Tur under Quantitative Restriction from 2 Lakh MT (LMT) to 4 LMT for the year 201920. In addition, Government has signed a MoU with Mozambique in July, 2016 for assured supply of Tur and other pulses. Further, Government has decided to release 2 LMT of Tur (whole) available in the buffer stock of pulses under the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) to States/UTs as well as through open market operations to improve domestic availability and facilitate price stability of Tur.

- (e) :  As on 4.7.19, balance stock of Tur in buffer under PSF is around 6.13 Lakh MT.

(f) :  Government  has  taken  various  measures  to  improve  domestic  availability  and  reduce dependence on imports including initiatives for increasing production and productivity of pulses through NFSM,  promulgating appropriate MSP  to  incentivize production, using trade policy instrument appropriately to facilitate better price realization for farmers, etc.

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