The Government has extended the free import policy for tur (arhar/red gram) by another year to March 31, 2026. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has issued a notification in this regard on Monday.
As per the earlier policy condition, the duty free import window for tur was till March 31, 2025.
The harvest of tur is presently going on in the key producing states of Karnataka and Maharashtra. With the new crop arrivals the mandi prices have eased and are ruling below the minimum support price levels. The Centre has declared an MSP of ₹7550 per quintal for the kharif 2024 marketing season.
As per the first advance estimates, the production of tur is estimated to be around 35.02 lakh tonnes, about 2.5 per cent higher than last year’s output of 34.17 lakh tonnes.
Shortfall in supplies of pulses such as tur, urad and chana last year had led to surge in prices. To augment domestic availability, the Government had extended the duty free import policy for tur, urad and masur till 31st March, 2025. The latest revision in duty free imports of tur is expected to increase further supplies and affordability.
Following the surge in prices, the Government has been closely monitoring the prices and availability of essential food commodities to ensure affordability to the consumers and to maintain a stable price regime. The Food Ministry recently said that chana and masur production is expected to be good on account of good sowing and favourable soil moisture and weather condition.
The duty free import of yellow peas has been allowed till 20th February, 2025 while that of chana had been allowed till 31st March, 2025.
In order make direct impact on retail prices of dals, the government has continued the sale of chana dal, moong dal and masur dal under the Bharat brand and hold regular interactions with Retailers Association of India and organised retail chains. These measures had helped in bringing down the CPI pulses inflation rate from 19.54 per cent in January, 2024 to 3.83 per cent in December, 2024, the Government said recently.