MMTC invites bids for 15,400 tonnes of imported pulses

NEW DLEHI: State-owned MMTC on Thursday invited bids for the sale of 15,400 tonnes of imported pulses in the domestic market to increase availability.

Bids will close on May 20 and a decision on the tender will be taken by May 28, the company said on its website.

MMTC said it will sell 8,450 tonnes of pigeon peas (tur), 4,000 tonnes of red lentils and 2,950 tonnes of green gram (moong) imported from Myanmar, Canada, Tanzania and Malawi.

The imported pulses offered for sale were grown in the 2009 crop year, it said.

At present, the pulses are lying at godowns in Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. Bidders should quote for a minimum quantity of 250 tonnes, it added.

The successful bidders have to organise their own transport to lift the cargo from the godown. The stock should be lifted within 45 days, the tender notice said.

In the wake of high prices of pulses due to a domestic shortage, the government has authorised public trading agencies like MMTC to source pulses from the global market and sell them in the domestic market.

The country's pulses production is stagnated at 13-14 million tonnes against the annual demand of 17-18 million tonnes. The gap is met through imports.