Govt exempts importers from stock limit on pulses; increases it for wholesalers and millers

“Considering the softening of the prices and feedback received from various stake holders, central government has relaxed stock limits for millers and wholesalers and exempted importers from the same. These entities shall however continue to declare stocks on the web portal of Department of Consumer Affairs. The stock limit shall be applicable only to tur, urad, gram and madurai,” a government release said.

Praveen Khandelwal, secretary, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which had requested Union Consumer Affairs minister Piyush Goyal to withdraw the stock limit order said, “This decision will give relief to lakhs of grain merchants across the country.”

The All India Dal Millers Association has also welcomed the move to increase stock limit for millers.

The trade has interpreted the order to exclude rajma, chhole, lobia, moth and matar.

The revised order provides that stock shall be applicable only on tur, masoor, urad, and chana, for a period up to October 31, 2021. It has been decided that Importers of pulses will be exempted from stock limits and shall continue to declare stocks of pulses on the portal of Department of Consumer Affairs.

For wholesalers, the stock limit will be 500 tonnes (provided there should not be more than 200 tonnes of one variety; for retailers, the stock limit will be 5 tonnes and for millers, stock limits will be the last 6 months’ production or 50% of annual installed capacity, whichever is higher.

In case the stocks held by them are higher than the prescribed limits, then the respective entities shall bring it to the prescribed stock limits within 30 days of issue of this notification.

Government of India has been making continuous efforts to crackdown on prices of essential commodities like pulses and had taken various measures like stock declaration of pulses by the stockholders of different categories on May 14,2021 and thereafter imposition of stock limits on pulses on July 2, 2021.

“With the active cooperation of states and all stakeholders involved in the pulses trade, in a short span of two months, there were 8343 registrations by entities and stocks worth more than 30.01 lakh tonnes was declared on the web portal of the Department,” the release said.

It added, “Prices of tur, urad, moongand gram started showing a consistently declining trend. Wholesale Prices of all the pulses (except masur) have fallen by 3 to 4 % in the last two months and retail prices over the same period for all the pulses (except masur) have fallen by 2 to 4%,” said the release.

On July 17, 2021, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution took a meeting, in which the Minister of State was also present, with various stakeholders’ Associations, including importers, millers, wholesalers and retailers of pulses, to discuss issues connected with imposition of stock limits on pulses. “All the major associations assured their full cooperation towards declaration of stocks on the web portal of Department of Consumer Affairs and in ensuring that there is no hoarding and artificial scarcity,” said the government release.