India has allowed duty-free imports of yellow peas until March 2024, an official gazette notification said.This is part of New Delhi’s intervention to cool the prices of the overall pulse basket.
Reportedly, the duty on yellow peas was first implemented in November 2017 at 50 per cent. India largely imports yellow peas from Canada and Russia.
“This notification shall come into force with effect from the 8th day of December, 2023, and shall remain in force up to and inclusive of the 31st day of March, 2024,” the gazette notification issued on Thursday evening read.
India is a large consumer and grower of pulses and it meets a portion of its consumption needs through imports. India primarily consumes chana, Masur, urad, Kabuli chana, and tur.
As part of centre’s invervention, it had in September extended stock limits on tur and urad dal by two months until December 31, besides revising the stock holding limits for certain stakeholders. Earlier, the stock limits on these two varieties of pulses were to end on October 30.
As per a notification issued then, the limit for stock with wholesalers and also big chain retailers at the depot was reduced from 200 MT to 50 MT, and the limit for millers was reduced from the last three months’ production or 25 per cent of annual capacity, whichever is higher to last 1-month production or 10 per cent of annual capacity, whichever is higher.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution had maintained the revision in stock limits and extension of the time period is to prevent hoarding and elicit the continuous release of tur and urad in sufficient quantities to the market and make the pulses available at affordable prices.
Earlier, India allowed the export of non-basmati white rice in varying quantities to Comoros , Madagascar, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, and Kenya, an official notification said.
Notably, the export of non-Basmati white rice was prohibited on July 20 to check domestic prices and ensure domestic food security.
Earlier, India allowed the export of such a variety of rice to Nepal, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Republic of Guinea, Malaysia, Philippines, Seychelles, UAE, and Singapore.
The exports to these countries are permitted through National Cooperative Exports Limited, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in its notification on late Thursday evening.
While initially amending the rice export policy, DGFT maintained that the export will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their government.
West African country Benin is one of the major importers of non-basmati rice from India. Other destination countries are UAE, Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Cote D’ Ivoire, Togo, Senegal, Guinea, Vietnam, Djibouti, Madagascar, Cameroon Somalia, Malaysia, and Liberia.