New Delhi. As the festive calendar draws near, officials are weighing steps to stop pulse prices from spiralling further. Among the options tabled is a cut in import duties on chickpeas and yellow peas, a move that could swell local inventories.
India relies heavily on imported pulses to satisfy domestic demand, making global supply a key driver of home‑market prices. Traders report that several major pulses have nudged higher in recent weeks amid growing concerns over crop output and festive consumption.
Pulse Prices Edge Up
Currently, chickpea imports attract a 10% duty, while yellow peas are taxed at 30%. By contrast, imports of tur and urad are duty‑free until 31 March 2027.
Commodity dealers say that over the past month chickpeas, moong, peas and tur have risen by as much as 10%. In the last seven days, prices have climbed another 3%‑5%, fuelled by stronger festive demand.
Rainfall Fuels Crop Anxiety
The total area planted with kharif pulses has held steady despite an erratic monsoon. By 4 September, roughly 117.13 lakh hectares had been sown, versus 115.30 lakh hectares at the same point last year.
However, moong acreage slipped to 33.19 lakh hectares from 34.23 lakh hectares a year earlier, and growers in key states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka are voicing worries about crop health.
Shift From Acreage to Yield
The market’s focus is now less on how much land is under pulse cultivation and more on the expected harvest per hectare. Spotty rainfall and prolonged dry spells in several regions have raised doubts about moisture availability during critical growth phases.
Suresh Agrawal, president of the Dal Mill Association, warned that insufficient rain in major producing zones could dent pulse output this season.
The southwest monsoon is concluding with rainfall about 12% below normal, and its uneven spread has added to the challenge—some districts suffered drought‑like conditions, while others were drenched.
Against this backdrop, the proposed duty reduction on chickpeas and yellow peas aims to augment supply and ease price pressure on consumers as the country heads into the celebration period.
