After setting a record in FY25, India’s pulse imports have dropped sharply in the current fiscal year, trade sources said citing adequate carry-forward stocks and robust domestic crop prospects.
According to provisional data, in terms of volume, pulse imports during April-November 2025-26 declined by 23% to 3.26 MT compared to 4.22 MT during the same period last fiscal. India imported a record 7.3 million tonne (MT) of pulses in FY25
“Overall imports of pulses in FY26 is likely to be just above 4.5 MT,” Satish Upadhyay, secretary, India Pulses and Grains Association, told FE. Upadhyay said that during December, 2025 and January, 2026, about 0.7 MT of pulses has been imported.
The decline in value of pulses import has been rather sharp, as the country during the first eight months of FY26 has imported pulses valued at $ 2.06 billion, a 38% drop compared to imports of $ 3.33 billion in April-November FY25. In FY25, the value of India’s pulses imported rose by 46% to $ 5.48 billion compared to 2023-24.
Global Price Slump
Official sources said that the cost of imports have declined by around 30% to 40% in the current year because of higher global output and low imports thus pulling down the prices.
Global prices of yellow peas, mostly sourced from Canada and Australia, has been ruling around $ 300/tonne against $ 400/tonne prevailed a year back. Similarly, Bengal gram prices have declined to $ 520/tonne from $ 700/tonne last one year.
In terms of varieties, arhar (pigeon pea) and masur (lentil) imports during April-November FY26 declined by 5% and 24% to 0.94 MT and 0.4 MT respectively compared to the same period in FY25.
Variety-Wise Trends
There has been a 52% decline in import of yellow peas, used as substitute of chana (gram) to 0.75 MT in April-November, FY26 on year.
However there has been a 43% rise in imports of urad to 0.75 MT in the first eight months of the current fiscal on year.
Average imports of pulses of around 2.7 MT between 2018-19 and 2022-23, sharply rose to 4.8 MT in 2023-24 and hit a new record of 7.3 MT in FY25.
India imports about 18%-20% of its annual consumption of pulses – tur, urad, masoor (lentils), yellow peas and Bengal gram from Canada, Russia, Brazil, Myanmar and Africa.
Imports of tur and urad varieties of pulses are allowed duty-free until March 31, 2026. Currently, the duty on yellow peas is 30% while on lentils, it is 10%.
With a share of 29.5% , yellow peas have the largest share in total pulses imports in 2024-25, followed by gram (22%), tur (16.7%), lentil (16.6%) and urad (11.2%). The pulses production in the 2024-25 crop year was estimated at 25.68 MT.
Prospects of a higher pulses production in forthcoming rabi or winter season due to adequate soil moisture because of excessive rainfall this season is likely to boost chana, masor (lentil) and moong production.