Retail prices of three pulses -- tur, moong dal and urad -- are on a declining trend after the government took coordinated actions with state governments to check hoarding, the Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry said on Friday.
"The upward pressure on retail prices of tur, moong dal and urad has stabilized in 2021 and is on a stable or declining trend," it said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the average increase in prices of these three pulses during April to June 16, 2021 was 0.95 per cent as compared with previous three months (January-March, 2021).
This is much lower as compared to 8.93 per cent rise in the corresponding period of 2020 and 4.13 per cent increase in the same period of 2019, it added.
As per the ministry data, there has been Rs 10/kg increase in retail prices of tur and urad between January 1 and June 18 this year.
Currently, retail prices of tur and urad are ruling at Rs 110 per kg as against Rs 100 per kg each on January 1.
Retail price of moong dal has remained unchanged at Rs 100 per kg since the beginning of the year, the data showed.
To check prices, the Centre said it took coordinated actions along with state governments to ensure that prices of pulses remain at fair and reasonable levels.
The Centre had asked states to direct pulses traders and stakeholders to declare their stock details on a portal and this led to a positive response.
"Within less than a month of the launch of the portal, stocks worth 28.66 lakh tonne have been declared and 6,823 registrations by various categories of participants (done), which is approximately 20 per cent of the total stocks presently held in the country after taking into account stocks held by cooperative NAFED," the statement said.
The stock details furnished on the portal were analyzed with reference to prices prevailing in each state and state governments were sensitised to take action at places where prices were higher than the national average, it said.
Besides, the government increased the targeted size of pulses buffer to be maintained in the current 2021-22 fiscal stabilisation fund to 23 lakh tonne.
Procurement of chana, masur, and moong is ongoing. For procurement of the pulses, NAFED on behalf of Department of Consumer Affairs actively engages with state government agencies.
From buffer stock of pulses, the Centre is also providing to states for welfare programmes and also undertook retail intervention to cool down retail prices, it added.
Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters
