India’s imports of pulses have notably decreased in recent months due to weak demand and declining prices, following record highs in the previous year. According to data from the Commerce Ministry, the value of pulses imported during the April-August period fell to $841.11 million, a 52 percent reduction from $1.762 billion the same period a year earlier. In August alone, the import value plummeted by 64 percent to $114.87 million compared to $320 million in August of the previous year.
Except for tur, imports of all other pulses dropped during the April-July period. Specifically, urad imports decreased by 10 percent to 2.30 lakh tonnes, down from 2.56 lakh tonnes in the previous year. Similarly, yellow pea imports fell dramatically by 71 percent to 2.73 lakh tonnes from 9.32 lakh tonnes.
In terms of chana (chickpeas), imports declined by 52 percent to 27,802 tonnes from 58,487 tonnes in the previous year. Masoor imports also faced a substantial drop, decreasing 37 percent to 1.76 lakh tonnes from 2.81 lakh tonnes in the same timeframe. Conversely, tur imports saw a 6 percent increase, rising to 2.92 lakh tonnes from 2.75 lakh tonnes.
Rahul Chauhan of Igrain India explained, “We had record high imports last financial year. Including domestic production, the availability has increased while the demand is muted. As a result, imports have slowed down. Additionally, the landed cost of pulses is declining as prices in producing countries decrease.”
As for kharif pulses, the acreage in India has risen marginally to 118 lakh hectares as of September 12, compared to 117.25 lakh hectares the previous year. However, excess rainfall in August and September could negatively impact the prospects for crops such as moong and urad.
The article was published on September 19, 2025.
