In order to prevent shortage of pulses and control their price rise, the Union Government has decided to set up buffer stock of dals for next one year.
The Agriculture Ministry has asked National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) to procure 30,000 metric tonnes (MT) of Tur and 10,000 MT of Urad at an estimated cost of `350 crore. Besides, Food Corporation of India (FCI) has been provided `50 crore for procurement.
The Government said Tur and Urad dals will be first allocated to States and the rest will be sold through Kendriya Bhandar and Mother Diary outlets. These pulses might also be sold in open market on National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) or any other electronic platform in a transparent manner, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundaria told the lok Sabha in a reply to question.
As a price stabilisation measure to control rising prices of pulses in 2015, the Government decided to import pulses through Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation of India (MMTC) with assistance from the Price Stablisation Fund (PSF). MMTC floated a tender for import of 5000 MT of Tur dal and received 4927 MT of Tur dal at the rate of 1078 $ per MT and at a total cost of `38.43 crore. The landed cost for the imported Tur dal worked out to `77/kg which was offered to the States at approximately `69/kg.
The Minister said this import was undertaken only as a short term price stabilisation measure. He added the Government also took other steps to meet the short supply of pulses including extension of “Zero import duty” on all pulses.
Besides, the Minister said that despite lower production and acreage of major crops in some States during 2014-15 and 2015-16 due to delayed or deficient rainfall during monsoon season and untimely rains/hailstorm during rabi season, the decline in the production of rice and wheat has not been significant. Government claimed there is sufficient stock of foodgrains under central pool.