Cabinet allows export of all varieties of pulses

New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved removal of prohibition on export of all types of pulses to ensure that farmers have greater choice in marketing their produce and in getting better remuneration for their produce.

The CCEA also empowered the Committee chaired by Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD) to review the export and import policy on pulses and consider measures such as quantitative restrictions, prior registration and changes in import duties depending on domestic production and demand, domestic and international prices and international trade volumes.

Opening of export of all types of pulses will help the farmer to dispose off their products at remunerative prices and also encourage them to expand the area of sowing. Export of pulses would provide an alternative market for the surplus production of pulses. Allowing export of pulses will also help the country and its exporters to regain their markets.

The integration with global supply chain is also likely to help our farmers in adopting good agricultural practices and better productivity.

In 2016-17 production year, the Indian farmers have lived up to the challenge of reducing India's import dependence on pulses and have produced 23 million tons of pulses. The government has taken a number of steps to sustain the high pulses production by our farmers. The government has procured 20 lakh tons of pulses by ensuring minimum support price or market rates, whichever is higher, directly from the farmers and this has been the highest ever procurement of pulses.