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Informist, Thursday, Mar. 19, 2026

 

By Pallavi Singhal

 

NEW DELHI – India has room to step up pulses procurement for the crop year 2025-26 (Jul-Jun) as government buffer stocks remain well below the norm, a senior government official said, signalling scope for higher buying as arrivals gather pace.

 

The government currently holds about 2.2 million tonnes of pulses, compared with the consumer affairs ministry's buffer stock requirement of 3.5 million tonnes, leaving significant headroom for additional procurement.

 

"The 3.5 million tonnes is an upper ceiling...we have around 2.2 million tonnes currently," the official said, adding that the purchases could be scaled up depending on arrivals.

 

Of the total stocks, moong accounts for the largest share at about 780,000 tonnes, followed by tur at 550,000 tonnes, masur 400,000 tonnes, and chana around 300,000 tonnes. The government has negligible stocks of urad, owing to weak procurement the last season.

 

"Our moong stocks generally run higher as production is ample while prices remain below MSP," the official said, noting that the support price for moong at INR 8,768 per 100 kilograms is higher than that for other pulses, including tur, urad, masur, and chana.

 

Procurement has picked up across key pulses, led by tur and chana. Tur procurement has already crossed 200,000 tonnes and could rise to as much as 500,000 tonnes, with the government willing to absorb higher volumes if arrivals increase, the official said.

 

Chana procurement has crossed 100,000 tonnes and could even reach 1 million tonne, particularly as procurement expands in large producing states such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, which are yet to fully begin operations. Procurement has so far begun in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, and is expected to scale up further.

 

Procurement of masur has only recently begun and remains limited so far. Urad continues to be a smaller segment, with the government indicating that even a buffer of around 100,000 tonnes would be sufficient. Procurement of urad has reached about 80,000 tonnes so far.

 

The official reiterated that the government will continue to procure pulses at the minimum support price and is prepared to buy as much as arrives, particularly chana and tur, which are trading near or below MSP in some markets. The procurement season usually starts after kharif crop has been harvested in October and ends after the rabi procurement has been completed towards Jun-Jul.

 

India's procurement push comes as the country seeks to reduce dependence on imports while supporting farm incomes. Pulses imports are estimated at around 6 million tonnes annually, making buffer stocking and MSP-backed procurement key tools for managing domestic supply and prices.

 

The government is also closely monitoring weather risks, with several agencies flagging the possibility of El-Nino conditions, which could lead to below-normal monsoon rainfall and impact output.  End

 

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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