India Extends Duty-Free Import of Yellow Peas Until February 2025
New Delhi [India], December 24: The Indian government has decided to extend the duty-free import of yellow peas for an additional two months, now lasting until February 2025. This extension was announced through an official notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
Initially, in December 2023, the central government had allowed duty-free imports of yellow peas until March 2024. Since then, the timeline has been extended multiple times, first to April, then June, followed by October, and now continuing until February 2025. This decision is part of the government’s broader efforts to manage and control the prices of pulses in the domestic market.
India first imposed a 50% duty on yellow peas in November 2017. Since then, the country has heavily relied on imports, with Canada and Russia being the primary suppliers of yellow peas to India.
Despite being one of the largest consumers and producers of pulses globally, India continues to depend on imports to meet its domestic needs. The country’s pulse consumption largely includes varieties such as chana, masur, urad, kabuli chana, and tur. However, production has not kept pace with the rising demand, leading to a surge in imports. In fact, pulses imports nearly doubled in 2023-24, reaching a total value of USD 3.74 billion.
Although India has made significant strides in increasing pulses production—from 16.3 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 24.5 million tonnes in 2023-24—the growth in production has not been sufficient to meet the increasing domestic demand. To bridge the gap, India imports pulses from several countries, including Myanmar, Australia, Russia, Canada, and certain African nations.
This continued reliance on imports, despite the rise in domestic production, highlights the challenges India faces in meeting the growing demand for pulses. The government’s ongoing interventions, such as the extension of duty-free imports, are aimed at keeping prices under control and ensuring that the country has access to sufficient supplies of yellow peas and other pulse varieties.
