Prices of pulses fall by 22% in metros: Pawar

The retail prices of key pulses such as tur and urad have fallen by up to 22 per cent in metro cities over the last three months, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said on Friday.

"Due to the measures taken, retail prices of pulses such as gram dal, tur dal, urad dal, masoor dal are generally showing a declining trend over the last three months in four metros," Pawar informed the Parliament.

The prices of these pulses have declined by up to 22 per cent in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, he said. At present, pigeon peas (arhar dal) and black matpe (urad dal) are available at Rs 70 a kg each, masoor at Rs 43 a kg and gram at Rs 31 a kg in one of Delhi's Kendriya Bhandars, the largest consumer cooperative society in the country.

In January, prices of pigeon peas and black matpe were ruling in retail markets at over Rs 90 a kg. The minister said the government took anti-inflationary steps in 2009-10 as a result food inflation declined to 17.7 per cent on March 27, 2010 from its peak of 22.4 per cent on December 26, 2009.

Food inflation has further eased to 16.04 per cent for the week ended April 24 as arrival of rabi (winter) crops cooled down prices of essential items. To contain pulses prices, Pawar said the government banned export of pulses (except kabuli chana) till March, 2011, and allowed duty-free import to augment domestic supplies.

This apart, the government has also extended till March 2011 the scheme for supply of imported pulses by public trading firms like MMTC, STC and PEC to state governments for PDS distribution, he said. India's pulses production has stalled at 14-15 million tonnes against an annual demand of 17-18 million tonnes. The gap is met through imports.