Government Plans to Increase Pulse Stocks

26-Apr-2025 01:17 PM

Government Plans to Increase Pulse Stocks
★ The government is likely to begin procurement of pulses under the PSF (Price Stabilization Fund) to boost buffer stocks.
★ The focus will be on chana (gram) as its prices are currently above the MSP of ₹5650 per quintal.
★ In the Union Budget for FY 2025-26, an allocation of ₹4020 crore has been made for the PSF.
★ In 2023-24, procurement of pulses under the PSS (Price Support Scheme) dropped to just 7 lakh tonnes, compared to 28.3 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 and 30.3 lakh tonnes in 2021-22.
★ The current stock of chana dal is only 31,000 tonnes, while the standard requirement is 10 lakh tonnes.
★ The total government stock of pulses stands at 17.2 lakh tonnes, while the required level is 35 lakh tonnes. This includes:
- Moong: 7 lakh tonnes
- Masoor: 5.9 lakh tonnes
- Arhar (Toor): 3.9 lakh tonnes
★ This season, the government approved procurement of 27.6 lakh tonnes of chana, but only 21,504 tonnes have been procured so far.
★ The key point to watch will be the stock levels—the lower the stock, the more the market remains firm.
★ For example, despite a bumper crop, chana prices remain above MSP, mainly due to low stock in the central pool.