Decrease in import cost of pulses due to less import of yellow peas and lentils

19-May-2025 08:33 PM

New Delhi. Quick data from the Union Commerce Ministry shows that the cost of import of pulses in April 2025 has come down to $314.4 million, which is 23.5 percent less than the import cost of $411 million in April 2024. Actually, the cost decreased due to the slowdown in the import of yellow peas and lentils.

During the last financial year, the quantity of import of pulses and the amount spent on it had increased rapidly to a new record level. The import of peas and lentils was affected due to good arrival of Rabi pulses.

According to Rahul Chauhan, Director of I Grain India, a huge import of 4.02 lakh tonnes of yellow peas was done inside the country in April last year, which fell to just 29,308 tonnes in April this year. The deadline for duty-free import of yellow peas is going to end on May 31.

Earlier, in the financial year 2024-25, its import had almost doubled from 11.69 lakh tonnes to 21.45 lakh tonnes as compared to 2023-24. It is known that the government had made the import of yellow peas duty free in December 2023 and with that its heavy arrival in the country started.

According to Rahul Chauhan, like yellow peas, there was a sharp decline in the import of lentils. In April 2024, 64,583 tonnes of lentils were imported, which is estimated to decrease to 36,007 tonnes in April 2025. On the other hand, some increase was registered in the import of tur and urad.

During this period, the import of tur is expected to increase from 61,978 tonnes to 98,162 tonnes and the import of urad is expected to jump from 55,435 tonnes to 89,212 tonnes.

The period of duty free import of tuvar and urad has been extended till 31 March 2026. According to Rahul Chauhan, overall the import of pulses during the current financial year is likely to be less than the previous financial year.