Import of urad, lentil and tuvar increased in April-May

25-Jun-2025 04:49 PM

New Delhi. Although the overall import of pulses declined in both quantity and value during April-May 2025 compared to the same period in 2024—mainly due to a sharp drop in the import of yellow peas and Desi gram—there was an increase in the import of urad, lentil and tuvar during this time.

According to data compiled by agricultural market research firm IGrain India based on port records, urad imports rose from 1.393 lakh tonnes to about 1.50 lakh tonnes, lentil imports increased from 1.13 lakh tonnes to 1.37 lakh tonnes, and tuvar imports surged from 1.22 lakh tonnes to 1.95 lakh tonnes in April-May 2025.

Meanwhile, moong imports remain under a ban. During the same period, yellow pea imports fell drastically from 6.86 lakh tonnes to 1.31 lakh tonnes, and Desi gram imports dropped from 30 thousand tonnes to around 16 thousand tonnes. It is notable that in the full financial year 2024-25, Desi gram imports rose to a record 15.06 lakh tonnes, while tuvar imports reached an all-time high of 12.32 lakh tonnes.

Rahul Chauhan, Director of IGrain India, predicts that pulse imports in the financial year 2025-26 will be lower than those in 2024-25 due to stable supply conditions and expectations of improved domestic production.

The government has extended the duty-free import period for tuvar, urad and yellow peas until March 31, 2026. Imports of lentils and gram currently attract only a 10 percent duty.

While the government continues to support pulse imports through favorable policy measures, current domestic market conditions are not encouraging for large-scale imports.