Lok Sabha Question No. 2747 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-02
Subject: Buffer Stock of Pulses
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: POONAM  MAHAJAN, ADVOCATE NARENDRA KESHAV SAWAIKAR, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, MEENAKASHI LEKHI, VINOD KUMAR BOIANAPALLI, KONAKALLA NARAYANA RAO, ANANDRAO  ADSUL, BOORA NARSAIAH GOUD, Shrirang Appa Barne, SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH, A.T. (NANA) PATIL, DHARMENDRA YADAV, PARASURAMAN K., NISHIKANT  DUBEY, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, NINONG ERING, RAJESH RANJAN  (PAPPU  YADAV), RANJEET RANJAN, DEVJI MANSINGRAM PATEL, RAVINDRA KUMAR RAY, DILIP KUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI, MANOJ RAJORIA, BHARATI DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL, SHER SINGH GHUBAYA, P.K.SREEMATHI TEACHER

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

## Government of India Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2747

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2016

## BUFFER STOCK OF PULSES

2747.   SHRIMATI  POONAM  MAHAJAN:  ADV.  NARENDRA  KESHAV  SAWAIKAR:  SHRI VINAYAK  BHAURAO  RAUT:  SHRIMATI  MEENAKASHI  LEKHI:  SHRI  B.  VINOD KUMAR:  SHRI  KONAKALLA  NARAYANA  RAO:  SHRI  ANANDRAO  ADSUL:  DR. BOORA  NARSAIAH  GOUD:  SHRI  SHRIRANG  APPA  BARNE:  SHRI  SUNIL  KUMAR SINGH: SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL: SHRI DARMENDRA YADAV: SHRI K. PARASURAMAN: SHRI NISHIKANT DUBEY: SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO: SHRI NINONG ERING: SHRI RAJESH RANJAN: SHRIMATI RANJEET RANJAN: SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL: DR. RAVINDRA KUMAR RAY: SHRI DILIPKUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI:  DR.  MANOJ  RAJORIA:  DR.  BHARATIBEN  D.  SHYAL:  SHRI  SHER  SINGH GHUBAYA: SHRIMATI P.K. SREEMATHI TEACHER:

## 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 price of pulses has continued to rise as the imports proved inadequate to bridge the shortage and if so, the details thereof and remedial steps proposed in this regard;
- (b) whether the Government has procured pulses from local farmers and contracted new imports to create buffer stocks and control prices, and  if  so, the details thereof  indicating the production, procurement, import and buffer stocks during the last one year along with the agencies involved and the countries from where the pulses are being imported;
- (c) whether the  high  powered committee to review availability  and price of pulses  has  suggested increasing of MSP/bonus for pulses and to create a larger buffer stock, and if so, the details and the present status of the proposal;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to distribute pulses through PDS, and if so, the details thereof indicating the quantum allocated, State-wise; and
- (e) the other steps being taken to improve availability and to control price of pulses in the country?

## 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)  : The prices of  major pulses except Chana dal have moderated over the last 6 months. Details of prices and steps taken to moderate prices of pulses are at Annexure .
- (b)  : Yes, Madam. As per the 3 rd Advance Estimates, the estimated production of pulses in 2015-16 is 17.06  million  tonnes.  As  on  29.07.2016,  Government  through  its  agencies  viz.  Food  Corporation  of India, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India and Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium, procured around 1,19,471.611 MT of pulses from local farmers while import of 56,000 MT of pulses has been contracted through Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation of India from Myanmar, Mozambique and Canada. Accordingly, the procurement, including imports, for buffer stock as on 29.07.2016 was 1,75,471.611 MT.
- (c)    :    In  a  high-level  review  meeting  on  availability  and  prices  of  pulses,  the  re-consideration  of methodology  for  fixing  Minimum Support Price  (MSP) for pulses and enhancing the  buffer stock of pulses to 20 lakh tonnes through domestic and overseas procurement was recommended
- (d) :   No such proposal is under consideration.
- (e)  :  The  other  steps  include  import  of  pulses  through  long-term  contracts  from  pulses  producing countries and enhancing domestic production of pulses through a number of plan schemes/programmes like  National  Food  Security  Mission-Pulses  (NFSM-Pulses),  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY), Macro  Management  of  Agriculture  (MMA)  and  Integrated  Scheme  of  Oilseeds,  Pulses,  Oil  Palm  & Maize (ISOPOM),etc.

*****

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO.2747 FOR 02.08.2016 REGARDING BUFFER STOCK OF PULSES.

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## A) Price Trends of major pulses

| Major Pulses   | All-India Daily Average Retail Price (Rs/kg)   | All-India Daily Average Retail Price (Rs/kg)   | All-India Daily Average Retail Price (Rs/kg)   | All-India Daily Average Retail Price (Rs/kg)   | All-India Daily Average Retail Price (Rs/kg)   | All-India Daily Average Retail Price (Rs/kg)   | All-India Daily Average Retail Price (Rs/kg)   | All-India Daily Average Retail Price (Rs/kg)   | All-India Daily Average Retail Price (Rs/kg)   |
|----------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
|                | Price As On                                    | 1 Month Ago                                    | 3 Months Ago                                   | 6 Months Ago                                   | 1 Year Ago                                     | %Variation over                                | %Variation over                                | %Variation over                                | %Variation over                                |
|                | 28-07-2016                                     | 28-06- 2016                                    | 28-04- 2016                                    | 28-01- 2016                                    | 28-07- 2015                                    | 1 Month                                        | 3 Months                                       | 6 Months                                       | 1 Year                                         |
| Gram Dal       | 98.37                                          | 83.66                                          | 72                                             | 67.02                                          | 60.77                                          | 17.58                                          | 36.62                                          | 46.78                                          | 61.87                                          |
| Tur/Arhar Dal  | 137.54                                         | 140.02                                         | 141.78                                         | 143.81                                         | 99.16                                          | -1.77                                          | -2.99                                          | -4.36                                          | 38.71                                          |
| Urad Dal       | 149.47                                         | 153                                            | 147.92                                         | 138.41                                         | 98.65                                          | -2.31                                          | 1.05                                           | 7.99                                           | 51.52                                          |
| Moong Dal      | 95.53                                          | 97.63                                          | 101.71                                         | 104.31                                         | 98.21                                          | -2.15                                          | -6.08                                          | -8.42                                          | -2.73                                          |
| Masoor Dal     | 86.36                                          | 84.54                                          | 83.27                                          | 82.28                                          | 83.14                                          | 2.15                                           | 3.71                                           | 4.96                                           | 3.87                                           |

## B) Steps Taken by the Government to moderate prices of pulses

1. Approved  creation  of  buffer  stock  of  pulses  for  effective  market  intervention  and  designated agencies have procured around 1.75 lakh MT of pulses through domestic procurement and imports.
2. The Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mozambique for import of pulses Tur and other pulses on Government-to-Government (G2G) basis.
3. Released Tur and Urad from the buffer stock to States/UTs/Central Agencies at subsidized rates for its retailing by them at not more than Rs 120/- per kg
4. To boost production of pulses, largest increase in MSP (including bonus) raised for Kharif crop of 2016-17 season has been accorded to Tur and Urad and Moong.
5. Advisory were issued to State Governments to take strict action against hoarding & black marketing and effectively enforce the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 & the Prevention of Black-marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980.
6. About 1.38 lakh tonnes of pulses seized from 14,612 raids and disposed off 1.27 lakh tonnes either by auction or other means permitted under EC Act,1955
7. Securities  &  Exchange  Board  of  India  (SEBI)  has  banned  new  contracts  in  Chana  to  dampen speculative activities in Chana and in respect of running contracts in Chana disallowed taking fresh positions to reduce speculative activities.
8. Export of all pulses is banned except Kabuli channa and up to 10,000 MTs in Organic pulses and Lentils.
9. Import of pulses are allowed at zero import duty.
10. Stock limit on pulses extended till 30.9.2016.
11. Set up a mechanism for regular monitoring and exchange of information on hoarding, cartelization etc. amongst the concerned agencies.
12. Strict  vigilance  by  Directorate  of  Revenue  Intelligence  to  prevent  importers  from  mis-using  the facilities of Customs Bonded Warehouse facility