Consignment of gram leaves Australia for India before duty free import period ends

25-Oct-2024 12:33 PM

Brisbane. A strong effort is being made to increase the import of new gram from Australia before the duty free import period ends in India. Yesterday, an exporting firm - Grain Corp. loaded a ship at Gladstone port for the first shipment of 31 thousand tonnes of gram produced in the central part of Queensland province.

This port is located about 500 km north of Brisbane. There is a lot of pressure on the exporters to send gram from India as soon as possible because if the duty free import period ends in India and the government does not extend the deadline, then the interest of Indian importers in buying Desi gram will decrease.

It is understood that the ship leaving from Gladstone will first stop at Mackay where some more gram will be loaded on it and after that it will depart for Asia.

However, exporters are hopeful that duty-free import of Desi Chana can be allowed in India till 31 March 2024, which can give Australia a good opportunity to increase the export of its stock.

There are indications of a great production of Desi Chana in Australia this year. According to Grain Corp, this ship will reach the destination within a month. Every effort is being made to meet the demand and need of the importers on time.

Actually, this exporting firm is facing some challenges. Grain operators in the province of New South Wales have decided to stop work as negotiations for a new wage agreement with Grain Corp failed.

According to critics, India is the largest producer and consumer of gram in the world, while Australia ranks first in its export.

This year, production in India has come down to the lowest level of the last five years, while on the other hand, its great production is going to be done in Australia. In May 2024, the Government of India had made the import of gram duty free.