India’s Yellow Pea Imports: Sharp Decline Expected in April 2025

14-May-2025 07:10 PM

 India’s Yellow Pea Imports: Sharp Decline Expected in April 2025

India’s yellow pea imports are projected to decline sharply in April 2025, with estimated imports at just 29,308 metric tons, compared to 402,548 metric tons in April 2024. This marks a significant year-on-year drop of approximately 373,000 metric tons.

In the financial year 2024-25, India imported a total of 2.145 million tons of yellow peas, while the total for FY 2023-24 stood at 1.169 million tons.

In April 2025, imports were limited to just three countries: Canada (25,127 tons), Russia (3,362.5 tons), and Ukraine (818.5 tons). In contrast, during April 2024, imports from Canada alone were 208,000 tons, Russia 130,000 tons, and Turkey 48,526 tons.

The decline in imports is attributed to lower stock availability in Canada and other exporting nations, as well as the nearing end of the current import window set to close on May 31, 2025. There are also early signs of reduced pea sowing in Canada.

Imports are likely to remain subdued until the arrival of the new crop in the coming months. Lower imports may help clear stock currently held at Indian ports.

If domestic chickpea (chana) prices remain strong, the Indian government may consider extending the import window with a moderate import duty in the range of 10-15%.