The Central government late Wednesday night imposed a 30 per cent effective import duty on yellow peas from November 1, announcing the step after months of speculation to check unrestricted imports and stem the fall in domestic pulse prices.
The duty, ahead of the rabi-sowing season, also seeks to shore up chana prices that have dropped sharply in recent weeks.
Chana is the largest pulses crop grown in India, sowing of which will begin in the next few days. The import duty on yellow peas was scrapped in December 2023.
Immediate impact on mandi prices
The effect was visible immediately.
According to trade sources, mandi prices of chana rose by around ₹50–100 per quintal on Thursday in most markets due to the duty, while that of tur rose by around ₹25–50 per quintal.
There was no change in mandi prices of urad between Wednesday and Thursday, while matar rates rose by almost ₹100 per quintal. The maximum increase was seen in the mandi prices of yellow peas, which moved up by ₹150–325 per quintal — from around ₹3,500 per quintal to ₹3,800 per quintal.
“The landed price of yellow peas, which was around ₹32–33 per kg, will immediately go up for new shipments by almost ₹9 per kg, which should have a cascading impact on the price of other pulses as well,” said Rajesh Paharia Jain, Chief Manager (Business Development) at Kribhco Agri Business Ltd.
Pulses trade below MSP due to cheap imports
The average mandi prices of pulses, including urad, tur, masoor, and moong, have been trading below their respective minimum support prices (MSPs) due to the influx of cheap yellow peas from Canada and Russia.
Traders said mandi prices of tur and urad were being quoted at around ₹6,100–7,000 per quintal, while their respective MSPs were ₹7,000 and ₹7,400 per quintal.
Moong was selling at around ₹6,600 per quintal against its MSP of ₹8,682 per quintal, while chana too was selling significantly below its MSP of ₹5,875 a quintal.
Duty exemption for shipments dated before October 31
Shipments with a bill of lading dated on or before October 31, 2025, are exempt from the duty, the government said.
It had earlier allowed duty-free imports of yellow peas until March 31, 2026, but domestic farmers had urged authorities to curb the influx of cheap imports.
India imported around 7.2 million tonnes of pulses in FY25, of which yellow peas alone comprised about 30 per cent (2.2 million tonnes).
Government plans large-scale procurement support
The sharp drop in mandi prices of pulses prompted the government to approve a major procurement plan for pulses and oilseeds worth around ₹15,095.83 crore a few days ago.
The plan is being implemented in Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh for kharif 2025–26. It also includes approval for the launch of the Bhawantar Bhugtan Yojana for soybeans in Madhya Pradesh.
- 100 per cent procurement of mung beans, black gram, and soybean for Telangana farmers
- Full procurement of pigeon pea for Odisha
- The largest procurement of mung beans, black gram, and soybean in Maharashtra under the price support scheme
- Minister sought duty reimposition earlier
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had written to the Union Finance Ministry a few months ago, seeking the reimposition of import duty on yellow peas to check falling prices and protect farmers.
