Nafed clears import of pulses as prices soar

NEW DELHI: In a bid to ease pressure on the high price of pulses in the domestic market of late, the National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) has finalised the import of 30,000 tonnes of urad and moong. Both these pulses are the highest priced, with retail prices for urad reaching Rs 62 per kg and that of moong reaching Rs 53 per kg. However, arhar and chana have become cheaper.

Both the pulses — 20,000 tonnes of urad and 5,000 tonnes of moong — will be imported from Myanmar at zero duty and the shipment would be in July and early August.

The imports have been finalised after the bids for Nafed’s global tender for 45,000 tonnes of pulses, issued on June 18, was opened on June 26. The tender also proposed import of gram (chana) and arhar but the import of arhar has now been put on hold. According to official sources, this was done given the possibility of arhar prices coming down in the domestic market in the near future.

It is understood that the responses to the global tender for arhar committed shipments only by August-September while the government wants the supplies in the market by July-August. And hence, Nafed is likely to refloat the tender. Arhar currently rules at Rs 36 per kg in the retail market. The modalities of distribution have yet to be worked out by Nafed with the food ministry.