Govt urged to relax import restrictions on peas

MADURAI: The Tamilnadu Foodgrains Merchants Association has made an appeal to Union minister for commerce and industry Piyush Goyal and the director general of foreign trade to relax import restrictions on peas and implement minimum import price. They also sought easing of port restrictions to import peas through the Tuticorin Port.
Highlighting the significance peas has in the dietary habits especially in the southern states, association president S P Jeyapragasam said this has led to the formation of ecosystem with stakeholders who depend solely on the peas and peas processing to earn a living. “Due to hostile climatic conditions, only a less quantity is cultivated every year in India. The demand for peas was met only through import for past forty years,” he said.
Unfavourable climatic conditions in the southern states and less cultivation in the northern states have resulted in the increase in price of pulse varieties such as peas, tur and lentils. The association stated that MSMEs dependent on peas were forced to shut down, resulting in the loss of livelihoods of labourers.
Recalling the import restrictions on peas in 2018, he added that this resulted in a staggering increase in the price of commodity.
The government’s idea to restrict import of substitute crops is laudable but there are certain crops that are misconceived to be a substitute crop. This helped farmers realise better value for their produce. “But the price of peas is inflated by 120%, making it too expensive for the middle, lower middle class and daily wage workers who have peas and peas products as an important component of their diet,” he noted.
Allowing imports for minimum quantity in the southern states will not affect the cultivation pattern or price of crops grown in the northern states. They said that import is the only solution unless the country attains self-sufficient status by increasing peas cultivation.
A copy of the representation was also sent to chief minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami.