For the 2012-13 crop year (July-June) period, the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP) has lowered the prices by Rs 100-150 per quintal recommended for the two pulses moong and tur. Compared to its earlier suggested support price, CACP has now recommended to lower prices for moong and tur by up to Rs 150 to Rs 4,400 a quintal and Rs 3,850 a quintal, respectively. Earlier, CACP had recommended the MSP of moong at Rs 4,500/quintal and tur at Rs 4,000/quintal for 2012-13.
However, this price is still higher by up to Rs 900 a quintal than the price that prevailed last year. The government for 2011-12 crop year had fixed minimum support price (MSP) of moong (green gram) at Rs 3,500 a quintal and tur (pigeon pea) at Rs 3,200 a quintal.
Earlier, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had deferred the decision on MSP of moong and tur in the last month. It had also directed the Agriculture Ministry to redo the calculations pursuant to which CACP has reworked on the MSP of moong and tur and lowered the support price by Rs 100-150 a quintal from its earlier proposal. The Government receives advice from CACP on farm pricing policy front. The CCEA had asked to rework the MSP of moong and tur on lower side as pulses are being short in supply and it wants to keep retail prices under control.
To meet the domestic production shortfall of 3-4 million tonne, the country imports pulses which have been stagnated for some time at around 15 million tonne but due to hike in support price the output crossed 17 million tonne in the last two years.