India and Russia Discuss Pulse Trade Enhancement
A delegation led by Deputy Minister of Russian Ministry of Agriculture Maxim Titov met with Secretary Department of Consumer Affairs Nidhi Khare on Monday to discuss measures to enhance cooperation in the field of pulse trade.
Russia has become a major source of India's imports of masur (lentils) and yellow peas in recent years. The two countries are also exploring the possibility of diversifying Russia's pulse production to include urad (black matpe) and tur (pigeon pea).
India's growing demand for protein-rich diets has led to an increase in pulse consumption. However, the country still relies heavily on imports to meet its domestic requirements. Despite being a significant producer of pulses, India's production has not kept pace with demand, leading to a rise in imports.
The government has taken various measures to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses, but imports are still rising. India primarily consumes chana, masur, urad, kabuli chana, and tur. Among these, tur, urad, and masur have a production deficit.
The government has observed a gradual easing of the supply situation for major pulses like tur, urad, and chana since July 2024. This is due to encouraging kharif prospects and continuous imports.
The tur crop is reported to be good, and early harvesting has begun in parts of Karnataka. The overall availability of pulses has been comfortable due to robust imports of tur, urad, chana, and yellow peas this year.
Tur and urad imports for the calendar year 2024 have already exceeded the whole year import figures of last year. The arrival of chana imports from Australia is expected from November.
The government believes that the recent diversification of source countries for pulses has played an important role in ensuring continuous inflows at increasingly competitive rates.