Chana, Urad Shipments Fall as Tur, Masoor Rise
Key Highlights
- India’s pulses imports declined 1.46 per cent during January-June 2026.
- Total imports stood at 31.80 lakh tonnes, compared with 32.27 lakh tonnes a year earlier.
- Tur imports jumped 43.34 per cent to more than 5.05 lakh tonnes.
- Masoor imports surged 51.58 per cent to 9.63 lakh tonnes.
- Yellow pea imports increased around 17 per cent during the period.
- Urad imports declined about 19 per cent in the first half.
- Chana imports fell more than 45 per cent amid slower shipments from Australia.
- Mozambique emerged as the largest supplier of tur, while Canada led masoor supplies.
Bengaluru, August 18: India’s pulses imports declined marginally during the first six months of calendar year 2026, with lower shipments of chana and urad offsetting a sharp increase in imports of tur, masoor and yellow peas.
Total pulses imports during January-June 2026 stood at 31.80 lakh tonnes, down 1.46 per cent from 32.27 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period last year, according to trade data cited by the India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA).
The data showed a mixed trend across different varieties, with some pulses recording double-digit growth in imports while others witnessed substantial declines.
Tur imports jump over 43%
Imports of tur, or pigeon peas, increased 43.34 per cent during the first half of 2026 to more than 5.05 lakh tonnes.
A large portion of the supplies came from African countries including Mozambique, Tanzania and Sudan.
Mozambique was the biggest supplier of tur during January-June, shipping more than 1.83 lakh tonnes to India. Myanmar followed with more than 1.23 lakh tonnes, while Tanzania supplied over 1.01 lakh tonnes.
Sudan accounted for around 49,049 tonnes during the period.
Urad imports decline
Urad, or black matpe, imports declined around 19 per cent during the first six months of the year.
Myanmar continued to dominate India’s urad import market, accounting for around 2.78 lakh tonnes of supplies.
Brazil supplied another 39,309 tonnes, while shipments from Thailand stood at more than 11,448 tonnes.
The decline in urad imports contrasted with the sharp increase recorded in several other major pulse categories.
Masoor imports surge 52%
Masoor, or lentil, recorded one of the strongest increases during the period.
Imports surged 51.58 per cent to 9.63 lakh tonnes during January-June 2026, compared with 6.35 lakh tonnes in the same period a year earlier.
Canada remained India’s largest masoor supplier, shipping more than 5.1 lakh tonnes during the six-month period.
Australia was the second-largest supplier, accounting for more than 4.17 lakh tonnes of masoor imports.
Chana imports fall sharply
Chana imports registered the steepest decline among the major pulse categories, falling more than 45 per cent during January-June.
The decline was linked to a slowdown in shipments from Australia, although the country remained India’s biggest overseas source of chana.
Australia supplied more than 6.03 lakh tonnes during the period.
Tanzania was the second-largest supplier with around 28,743 tonnes, followed by the UK and Myanmar, among other countries.
Trade participants attributed the decline partly to comparatively lower domestic chana prices and higher international prices during the period.
Yellow pea shipments rise
Yellow pea imports moved in the opposite direction, increasing by around 17 per cent during the first half of 2026.
Canada accounted for the bulk of these shipments, supplying more than 5.7 lakh tonnes to India.
Russia was another major supplier of yellow peas during the period.
The overall import numbers highlight a significant shift in India’s pulse import mix, with stronger demand for tur, masoor and yellow peas being balanced by lower purchases of chana and urad.
The trend will remain important for the domestic pulses market as changes in overseas supplies, global prices and domestic production influence availability and prices for consumers and traders during the remainder of the year.
