By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, NOV 08, 2024: A delegation led by Mr. Julio Cesar Ramos, Vice Secretary of Commerce and International Relations, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Government of Brazil made a courtesy call on Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, here yesterday. Brazil has emerged as a supplier of Urad in recent years and has the potential to become a major source of India's Urad and Tur imports. The quantity of Urad import from Brazil has increased from 4,102 MT in calendar year 2023 to over 22,000 MT in 2024, till October end.

Trade in pulses with countries like Brazil and Australia has been uniquely advantageous because the contrast in cropping seasons vis-à-vis India which allows these countries to plan their cropping pattern based on India's crop prospect. Take the case of Chana, when India notified duty free import of Chana in May, 2024 following lower rabi-2024 production, Australia responded with massive increase in sowing area as the period coincided with sowing season that country. Australia's Chana production in current year is estimated at about 13.3 lakh tons as against 4.9 lakh tons in 2023, basically for export to India. The arrival of fresh crop of Chana from Australia from last week of October has augment domestic availability and helped in dampening prices in the primary markets.

In respect of vegetables, the Department of Consumer Affairs maintains the tempo of bulk disposal as a shipment of 840 MT onion by rail rake arrived at Changsari Station in Guwahati on 5 th November, 2024. The onion is being distributed by NCCF in various district of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and other NE States. This will ensure wider availability of onions in North-eastern States ensuring its availability at a very reasonable price to consumers.

Bulk transportation of onions from Nashik to major destinations such as Delhi, Chennai and Guwahati by rail rake has been adopted for the first time this year, for a more cost-effective and efficient disposal. On 18th October, 2024, 1,600 MT of onion was dispatched from Nashik by Kanda Express and arrived at Kishanganj Station in Delhi on 20th October, 2024. On 23rd October, 2024, 840 MT of onion had been dispatched from Nashik by rail rake which arrived at Chennai on 26 th October 2024. A shipment of 840 MT of onion by rail rake to Delhi arrived on 30th October, 2024. Another rail rake of 840 MT has been dispatched on 30th October, 2024 to Guwahati for disposal in Assam and other North-eastern States. Bulk disposal of onions in major mandis has helped in augmenting availability and in bring down the prices.

The government had procured 4.7 lakh tons of rabi onion for the price stabilization buffer this year, and started the release from 5 th September, 2024 through retail sale at Rs.35 per kg and also through bulk sales in major mandis across the country. Till date over 1.50 lakh tonnes of onion in the buffer has been dispatched from Nashik and other source centres to consuming centres through trucks by road transport and rail.