Indore: Pulse millers on Friday sought the permission to import 1 lakh tonne of urad to make up for the crop damages following the heavy rains in MP. “We have sought permission from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade to import a additional 1 lakh tonn of urad pulses following the crop damages due to heavy rains in the state," Suresh Agarwal, president of All-India Pulse Mills Association, told PTI.
In the absence of raw material, the mills won't be able to operate for long, he added. He warned that unless the crop shortfall is met through imports, the price of urad will skyrocket. Agrawal said the government had capped urad import at 1.5 lakh tonne in April. He said urad production in the state was around 12 lakh tonne annually. But due to the heavy downpour during the kharif season, production is expected to shrink to around 8 lakh tonne, he added. As a result of this, total urad output will dip to close 20 lakh tonne, he said. PTI
