Demand for pro-farmer, consumer-friendly pulses import policy

Raitha Morcha, the farmers’ wing of the State unit of the BJP has demanded that the Union government introduce a comprehensive, integrated pro-farmer and consumer-friendly pulses policy for the country as a whole and re-think the import policy of pulses.

State vice-president of the Raitha Morcha Basavaraj Ingin, who is also the president of the Karnataka Red Gram Growers Association, in a memorandum faxed to the Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, urged the Union government to re-think the EXIM policy of pulses and stop the import incentives given to the pulses and subject all the imported pulses to a strict quality check regimen before landing in the open market.

Adulterated product

Mr. Ingin pointed out that the importers were using loopholes in the EXIM policies and instead of importing pulses that are consumable by humans, were importing cow pea and yellow pea that are produced in Australia, Canada and other countries mainly for the consumption of animals, particularly feeding pigs. The imported cow pea and yellow pea are mixed with human consumable pulses and marketed by the importers and traders.

Referring to the fall in the price of pulses in the wholesale market, Mr. Ingin stated that this was mainly because of the import of pulses during the harvest period of the pulses being cultivated within the country.

“There should be a ban on the import of the pulses during the harvest of the pulses. The quantum of the pulses to be imported should be based on the total estimated production and its arrival in the market,” he reiterated.

‘Consider exporting’

The government should also explore the possibility of introducing incentives for the export of the pulses and the import should be permitted with a minimum levy of 30 per cent import duty and dumping duty for price stabilisation in the domestic market to protect the interests of the indigenous farmers.

The landing price of the imported pulses should be on par with the domestic prices of the pulses. He also urged the Union Minister to ensure a match between the farm gate price and consumer prices of pulses.