Pulses imports up 40% in 2023 as output falls

India, which accounts for nearly half of the world's pulses consumption, imported 2.9 million tonnes (mt) of masur, tur (pigeon pea) and urad (black gram) in calendar year 2023, marking a 39.7% increase from the 2 mt imported in the year earlier, a senior government official said.

- Puja Das

The surge in imports of these three pulses can be attributed to anticipated lower production for two consecutive crop years (2022-23 and 2023-24) caused by unseasonal rainfall in October 2022 and deficit rainfall in major growing states during the southwest monsoon 2023. This has kept prices of tur and urad firm throughout 2023. As far as masur imports are concerned, the jump is because of interpulses substitutes and higher domestic and global supply, two government officials said.

According to one official, imports of masur were the highest, jumping 130% from a year earlier to 1.47 mt (as of December 21). India imported 4.8% more urad at 579,597 tonnes than in calendar year 2022.

Imports of tur, however, declined 3.9% on-year to 847,365 tonnes in 2023. This is due to reported supply disturbance from Mozambique, from where almost half of India's tur imports are sourced.

Queries sent to the consumer affairs department remained unanswered till press time.