Congress Makes Serious Allegations Against the Government on the Import of Yellow Peas
07-Oct-2025 09:32 PM
New Delhi. The government's decision to continue the duty-free import of yellow peas has not only upset the country's pulse producers, but also the Union Agriculture Ministry, NITI Aayog, and the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). Now, the Congress,
the main opposition party, has also joined this list, leveling serious allegations against the central government. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh quipped, "There's something fishy about Modi's (Modi + Adani) yellow lentils."
According to Jairam Ramesh, over 6.7 million tons of pulses were imported into the country in 2024-25, with yellow peas alone contributing nearly 50,000 tons.
The government has exempted imports of yellow peas from customs duty since December 2023, resulting in imported peas reaching the market at a much lower price than domestic pulses, putting pressure on the prices of all pulses.
Imported peas cost only ₹3,500 per quintal, while the minimum support price for indigenous pulses is set at ₹7,000-₹8,000 per quintal.
Thus, the price of yellow peas is half the support price of other pulses. Cheap imports have flooded the domestic market with foreign pulses, making indigenous pulses uncompetitive for farmers in states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh, and making pulse production uneconomical for these farmers.
While Indian farmers are suffering significant economic losses due to massive cheap imports, the Adani Group, the largest importer of yellow peas, has benefited significantly and continues to do so.
Jairam Ramesh further stated that to curb high food inflation, the government had "temporarily" withdrawn the 50 percent basic customs duty on yellow peas in December 2023, but despite repeated requests from farmers, it has remained in place.
It's worth noting that the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices and the Supreme Court have recommended restricting the unrestricted import of yellow peas to protect the interests of Indian farmers, but the government has repeatedly ignored these recommendations. Now, the import of yellow peas has been made duty-free until March 31, 2026.