Farmhands engaged in inter cultivation, weeding and hand-tilling, in a bengalgram (chickpea) field on the outskirts of Hyderabad
| Photo Credit:
NAGARA GOPAL
India’s pulses import value has more than halved in the first half of current financial year on fall in global prices and lower import volumes. The April-September 2025 import value of pulses stood at $1.03 billion over same period last year’s $2.18 billion, per the recently released quick estimates released by the Commerce Ministry. In rupee value terms, pulses imports fell 51 per cent to ₹8,908 crore from ₹18,282 crore in the same period last year.
India had imported a record $5.47 billion worth of pulses during financial year 2024-25, with volumes at record 73 lakh tonnes (lt).
In volume terms, the pulses imports during current financial year have been on a sluggish trend. As per the data compiled by IGrain India, pulses import volumes during April-July 2025 stood at 9.97 lakh tonnes as compared to same period last year’s 18.02 lakh tonnes. Except for a marginal increase import volume of tur during this period, purchases of all other varieties of pulses have seen a decline led by yellow peas and lentils.
Yellow pea imports during April-July this year stood at 2.73 per cent compared to corresponding last year’s 9.32 lakh tonnes. Similarly, desi chana imports were lower at 0.27 lakh tonnes (0.58 lakh tonnes in April-July 2024), urad at 2.30 lakh tonnes (2.56 lakh tonnes) and lentils at 1.76 lakh tonnes (2.81 lakh tonnes). However, the import of tur during April-July was marginally up at 2.91 lakh tonnes (2.75 lakh tonnes).
Duty free imports of pulses such as tur, urad and yellow peas is on till March 31, 2026, while chana and masur attract an import duty of 10 per cent.
With record and cheap imports flooding the domestic market, the trade has been demanding curbs on yellow peas for sometime now. Prices of almost all pulses are trending below currently, when compared to the last year’s levels on ample availability. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) in its price policy report for rabi 2026-27 season has recommended a complete ban on import of yellow peas and restrict cheap imports of gram (chana) and lentils through higher tariffs. It has also called for concerted efforts to develop high yielding climate resilient varieties and ensure availability of quality seeds to farmers to achieve self sufficiency in pulses.
The Government has recently launched a mission for atmanirbharta in pulses with a budgetary allocation of Rs 11,440 crore to scale up the domestic pulses production to 350 lakh tonnes and expand the area to 310 lakh hectares by 2030-31. Through the mission, the government also aims to ensure 100 procurement of pulses like tur, urad and masoor at MSP for four years.
Total pulses acreages under kharif 2025 were up marginally at 120.41 lakh ha over previous year’s 119.04 lakh ha. Though the area is up, the output is likely to be lower as excess and untimely rains have impacted the output in key producing states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan among others. The monsoon rainfall was above normal and the country as a whole received 108 per cent of the long period average.
Published on October 21, 2025