PULSE PUZZLE

The government takes the usual market-regulatory steps every time there is a surge in prices of pulses—the primary source of protein for a majority of Indians. But shortfall in domestic production, the main reason behind the price rise, remains unaddressed. An analysis by VIVEK MISHRA, SHAGUN KAPIL, RAJU SAJWAN, ANIL ASHWANI SHARMA and BHAGIRATH

- VIVEK MISHRA, SHAGUN KAPIL, RAJU SAJWAN, ANIL ASHWANI SHARMA and BHAGIRATH

IN APRIL this year, there was a big surge in prices of pulses. The top two pulses in terms of consumption, chana (gram) and tur (pigeon pea), crossed the ₹100 per kg mark, with tur witnessing a 30 per cent rise and selling at ₹130 a kg. The government acted by removing the quantitative restriction on the import of pulses on May 15 to improve their availability. About a month later, on June 24,

it also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Myanmar for an annual import of 0.1 million tonnes of tur and 0.25 million tonnes of urad (black gram) for five years; and with Malawi for import of 0.1 million tonnes of tur for the same period. Subsequently, it imposed stock limits for wholesalers, importers, millers and retailers on July 2 to prevent hoarding.

This is how the government behaves every time the price of an essential commodity goes up. It is also the reason India is the largest importer of pulses, despite being the largest producer and consumer for the same. While the domestic production of pulses has risen by 122 per cent between 1981 and 2020—from 11.5 million tonnes to 25.57 million tonnes—the imports have risen by 1,622 per cent from 0.13 million tonnes to 2.2 million tonnes (see ‘Perpetual importer’,