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Informist, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025

 

By Pallavi Singhal

 

NEW DELHI – India is likely to extend its government-to-government import agreements for pulses with Mozambique, Myanmar, and Malawi for another five years beyond 2025-26 (Apr-Mar), according to a senior government official familiar with the discussions. While the extension has already been agreed to in the inter-ministerial committee, the final order will require coordination and diplomatic engagement with the three countries through the Ministry of External Affairs before any formal announcement, the official said. 

 

India currently has memoranda of understanding with Mozambique, Myanmar, and Malawi that allow the import of fixed quantity of tur and urad at concessional terms to bridge domestic supply gaps. 

 

Under the existing arrangements, India imports 200,000 tonnes of tur from Mozambique; 100,000 tonnes of tur and 250,000 tonnes of urad from Myanmar, and 50,000 tonnes of tur from Malawi, taking the total assured tur imports under preferential arrangements to about 350,000 tonnes annually.

 

"The existing MoUs will be rolled over for the same quantities, but the process is not complete yet," the official said. 

 

India's tur production for the ongoing crop year 2025-26 (Jul-Jun) is estimated around 3.6 million tonnes while annual consumption is close to 4.4 million tonnes, leaving a structural supply gap that is partly met through imports.

 

Moreover, the memoranda assume added significance this season as kharif output of urad has been weaker than expected with first estimates projecting 1.2 million tonnes and rabi sowing has also faced setbacks in some regions, raising concern over the availability, the official said. The official linked the possible extension directly to poor domestic supply conditions, especially for urad. "Urad numbers are discouraging...and rabi sowing is not going well."

 

India has followed a quota-based and country-specific approach for pulses imports from least developed countries such as Mozambique, Myanmar and Malawi, which enjoy preferential market access. Government officials say that reintroducing import duties on tur and urad remains unlikely under the current framework, as these imports largely originate from least developed countries which will enjoy duty-free exports even if duties are imposed.

 

India allows zero or preferential import duty on most goods--including pulses such as tur and urad--when they originate from United Nations-designated least developed countries. 

 

The existing free-import window for tur and urad under separate policy relaxations is scheduled to end on Mar. 31, after which the government is expected to reassess the overall import regime, the official said.

 

Meanwhile, tur prices across key producing markets remained under pressure amid adequate arrivals and the overhang of imported supplies. In Latur and Akola in Maharashtra, tur prices are in the range of INR 6,000–INR 6,400 per 100 kg and in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, benchmark prices are hovering around INR 6,200–INR 6,500 per 100 kg, traders said. These levels remain well below the government's minimum support price of INR 8,000 per 100 kg.

 

Traders said uncertainty over whether the memoranda would be rolled over has also kept the sentiment muted. "If the government confirms continuation of these agreements, it could cap any upside in prices for the next season as well," a Delhi-based pulses importer said.  End

 

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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