New Delhi: With the consumer affairs ministry projecting a rise in the production of pulses and onions for 2024-25 due to favourable monsoon rains and weather conditions, the government is optimistic that the prices of essential commodities will remain stable.
Tur production is projected at 3.5 million tonnes, reflecting a 3% increase from last year’s 3.4 million tonnes. Kharif moong output is estimated to rise by 18%, reaching 1.3 million tonnes compared with 1.1 million tonnes the previous year, according to a ministry statement issued on Friday.
Higher sowing has improved estimates for kharif and late kharif onion production, while rabi onion sowing is progressing well. Potato cultivation is also advancing steadily, supported by favorable climatic conditions, as state by the ministry.
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has sanctioned the procurement of tur for the current marketing season. Similarly, chana (Bengal gram) and masur production is expected to improve, aided by favourable soil moisture and sowing conditions, it said.
The annual average retail inflation for 2024 stood at 4.95%, lower than 6.69% in 2022 and 5.65% in 2023, reflecting improved price stability. Despite challenges, the government claims that food price management in 2024 was effectively handled.
The El Niño phenomenon in 2022-23 and 2023-24 had adversely affected pulse production, resulting in below-average yields of tur, chana, and urad due to erratic monsoons in major producing states. To address these challenges, the government implemented proactive measures to stabilize prices while safeguarding the interests of consumers and farmers.
To incentivise pulse production, the procurement ceiling under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) was removed for tur, urad and masur, guaranteeing 100% procurement at MSP during 2024-25. Farmers were pre-registered for assured procurement with support from NCCF and NAFED, which also facilitated seed distribution and awareness programmes in new pulse-growing areas.
“Duty-free imports of tur, urad, masur, and chana were extended to augment domestic availability, while dals such as chana, moong, and masur were sold at affordable rates under the Bharat brand. These interventions brought down the CPI pulses inflation rate from 19.54% in January 2024 to 3.83% in December 2024,” the ministry said.
Regarding onions, the government procured 470,000 tonnes of rabi-2024 onions for the buffer stock at an average price of ₹2,833 per quintal, benefiting farmers compared with the previous year’s price of ₹1,724. Buffer stocks were released to curb price surges, and export policies were calibrated to ensure domestic supply.
Initially, onion exports were prohibited from December 2023 to May 2024, followed by gradual liberalization and adjustments in export duties. Consequently, monthly onion export volumes increased from 72,000 tonnes in September to 168,000 tonnes in December 2024, the ministry said.
Catch all the Business News , Economy news , Breaking News Events andLatest News Updates on Live Mint. Download TheMint News App to get Daily Market Updates.