Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

India develops three pulses varieties to cut imports, curb prices

January 22, 2016 09:36 IST

Every year Indians consume about 22 million tonnes of lentils

India has developed three lentil varieties of a particular strain that was banned five decades ago amid concerns that it led to nerve damage and paralysis, a move aimed at stepping up local supplies to curb domestic prices and cut imports.

The government-backed Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed the lentil, popularly called pulses, variety after India agreed to lift a five-decade-old ban on the grade.

The new varieties are safe for human consumption, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said in a statement.

Annual output of khesari, the lentil variety, is estimated at 350,000 tonnes.

Every year Indians consume about 22 million tonnes of lentils used to make a thick stew called dal, commonly taken with rice or flat bread across South Asia.

About a fifth of the volume is imported from countries such as Canada, Austria and Myanmar, which grow the legumes mainly to sell to India.

Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters

Mayank Bhardwaj in New Delhi
Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.