India to import about 5 MT of pulses during April-December period: IPGA

India is likely to import about 5 million tonnes (MT) of pulses during April-December period of this fiscal, largely by private traders. This step has been taken in order to boost domestic supply and cool retail prices that have reached up to Rs 200 per kg. The country had imported about 4.5 MT in the corresponding period of the previous year while the import stood at 5.78 MT for the entire 2015-16 fiscal.

As per information provided by India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), about 1.2-1.3 MT of pulses have already been imported and private traders have been contracted for 3 MT of pulses to be shipped between September and December.

The prices of pulses have gone up in domestic market due to fall in production on account of poor and unseasonal rains in two consecutive crop years. The production fell to 17.06 MT in the 2015-16 crop year (July-June) from 17.15 MT in the previous year. In 2013-14, output was over 19 MT.