Question : IMPORT OF PULSES

(a) whether the Government has decided to import additional fifteen lakh tonnes of pulses to contain price rise and improve availability;

(b) if so, the details thereof indicating the quantum, price, importing agencies and time-frame fixed for the said imports;

(c) the rate at which the same is proposed to be sold in the market;

(d) the difference in the price of indigenous and imported pulses;

(e) whether the Government proposes to import edible oil also during the current year in view of its rising prices; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI SHARAD PAWAR)

(a) to (c): The Government recently took a decision to import 1.5.million tonnes of pulses such as Urad, Tur, Moong, Masur, Gram and yellow peas through National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED), MMTC Ltd, PEC Ltd and State Trading Corporation (STC). The imported pulses will be sold by these agencies through public tenders. The supply of imported pulses will augment domestic availability and thus help in containing the rise in prices. The details of import of pulses by the 4 agencies as on 25.4.2007 are given below:

(in metric tonnes)
Organisation	Item	Contracted	Quantity	Quantity	arrived (at port)
PEC Ltd.	Urad	19000	5000	Moong	9000	2000	Tur	10000	4000	TOTAL (PEC)	38000	11000
MMTC Ltd	Urad	3000	0	Moong	1000	980	Tur	20000	4680	Dunpeas	2000	0	Yellow peas	53000	0	TOTAL (MMTC)	79000	5580
NAFED	Urad	65000	19874	Moong	5000	4440	TOTAL (NAFED)	70000 24314
STC	Urad	30000 11145	Yellowpeas	70000	0	TOTAL(STC)	100000	11145
GRAND TOTAL	2,87,000	52,039