Government Holds Massive Stock of Pulses

05-Jun-2026 03:44 PM

New Delhi: The Central Government claims to hold a massive stock of pulses, ensuring it will face no difficulty in making an immediate and effective market intervention should production decline and prices surge this year due to El Niño and a weak monsoon.

According to senior official sources, the volume of pulses in the central buffer stock has surged to a record high of 4.3 million tonnes (43 lakh tonnes). This is more than double the stock levels of 1.8 million tonnes in May 2025 and 2.1 million tonnes in May 2024. This reserve will help ease the supply situation and curb price spikes if the need arises in the domestic market.

The Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs stated that this massive stock of pulses will not be released into the market immediately; the buffer stock will be utilized only if the production of Kharif-season pulses is adversely affected by El Niño.

The Secretary noted that pulses do not fall under the category of perishable agricultural produce and can be safely stored for two to three years.

The government makes efforts to procure large quantities of pulses from farmers annually at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). During the recent Rabi marketing season, a massive stock of gram (chana) was procured, adding to the already substantial stocks of other pulses. There are also healthy stocks of moong, tur, and masoor.

Imports of various pulses from abroad are ongoing and will continue, ensuring a smooth supply and availability situation in the domestic market. While the domestic market price of gram has seen a slight rise, the prices of other pulses remain largely stable.