India’s pulses imports rose sharply during April-July FY27 amid concerns over lower domestic production. Trade sources expect imports to moderate in the coming months due to high global prices and supply disruptions.
Highlights
- Pulses imports surged 62% to 1.7 million tonnes (MT) during April-July FY27.
- In value terms, imports jumped 32% to $0.97 billion.
- Higher imports were driven by concerns over a decline in domestic output due to the El Niño threat.
- Imports could slow in the coming months as global prices remain high.
India’s pulses imports recorded a sharp increase during the first four months of the current financial year as concerns over domestic production prompted traders to increase overseas purchases.
According to the report, imports of pulses surged 62% year-on-year to 1.7 million tonnes during April-July FY27. In value terms, imports increased 32% to $0.97 billion during the period.
Trade sources attributed the rise to concerns about a possible decline in domestic output due to the El Niño threat. Despite relatively subdued global prices earlier, strong demand from India supported higher imports.
However, traders expect the pace of imports to slow over the next few months as prices of key pulses, including yellow peas and lentils sourced from Canada, have increased sharply in recent weeks.
Supplies from Russia have also faced disruption because of logistical issues related to the conflict with Ukraine. Satish Upadhyay, secretary of the India Pulses and Grains Association, told the publication that import volumes in the coming months would depend on the prospects for the kharif and rabi crops.
Among individual pulse varieties, masur (lentil) imports surged 227% year-on-year to 0.57 MT during April-July, making it one of the biggest contributors to the overall increase. Imports of yellow peas rose 91% to 0.52 MT.
Meanwhile, tur imports increased 7% to 0.31 MT during the first four months of FY27. In contrast, urad imports declined 20% to 0.18 MT during the same period.
The sharp rise in imports highlights India’s reliance on overseas supplies to bridge gaps between domestic production and consumption. Import trends over the coming months are likely to be influenced by domestic crop prospects, international pulse prices and the availability of supplies from major exporting countries.
