Centre extends time period for stock limits on tur, urad by two months till December 31

The government on Monday extended the time period for existing stock limits on tur and urad by two months till December 31 this year and revised the stock holding limits for certain entities. As per the notification issued by the Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry, the stock limits for wholesalers and big chain retailers at the depot have been reduced from 200 tonne to 50 tonne each.

The stock limit for millers has also been reduced from the last 3 months’ production, or 25 per cent of annual capacity, whichever is higher, to the last one-month production, or 10 per cent of annual capacity, whichever is higher.

“The revision in stock limits and extension of the time period is to prevent hoarding and elicit the continuous release of tur and urad in sufficient quantities to the market and make tur dal and urad dal available at affordable prices for the consumers,” the ministry said in a statement.

As per the latest order, stock limits have been prescribed for tur and urad until December 31 for all states and Union Territories.

Stock limits applicable to each of the pulse individually will be 50 tonne for wholesalers; 5 tonne for retailers; 5 tonne at each retail outlet, and 50 tonne at the depot for big chain retailers; the last one month of production or 10 per cent of annual installed capacity, whichever is higher, for the millers.

However, importers are not allowed to hold imported stock beyond 30 days from the date of customs clearance. According to the order, the respective legal entities have to declare their stock position on the portal (https://fcainfoweb.nic.in/psp) of the Department of Consumer Affairs, and in case the stocks held by them are higher than the prescribed limits, then they should bring the same to the prescribed stock limits within 30 days of issue of the notification. On January 2 this year, the government imposed a stock limit on tur and urad to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation and improve affordability to the consumers.

The Department of Consumer Affairs is closely monitoring the stock position of tur and urad through the stock disclosure portal, which has been reviewed on a weekly basis with the state government, the statement said.

It may noted that the area sown to pulses during the current kharif season has remained lower at 122.57 lakh hectare as of September 22 against 128.49 lakh hectare in the year-ago period, as per the agriculture ministry data.

The country imports some pulses to meet the shortages.