Export of pulses banned

The Union government has extended the ban on export of pulses, the
Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, said.

The move followed the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on food,
headed by the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, reviewing the
price situation in the country and deciding to
allow duty-free import of pulses until March 2012.

India is the world's biggest producer and consumer of pulses.
The government had in June 2006 banned exports of pulses, which had a
weight of 0.72 per
cent in the wholesale price index.

Food price index rose by 12.13 per cent till December 11 this year,
government data showed.
The government has also decided to extend the imports of duty-free
pulses "until further orders".
The annual pulses consumption is estimated at over 18 million tonnes,
while production in 2009-10 was at 14.6 million tonnes, leading to
imports.