India’s pulses trade body has called upon the government to annul the memorandum of understanding with Mozambique, which binds India to import 200,000 tonnes of tur dal from the country each year until 2025-26.
The Indian Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA) reported that a prominent exporter in Mozambique is hindering other exporters from shipping tur to India, consequently leading to a surge in prices.
“He has been forcing other exporters to sell tur to him. He has been holding the stocks and hiking the prices,” said Bimal Kothari, president, IGPA.
Importers of pulses in India have encountered difficulties in procuring tur from Mozambique over the last two months.
To counter the uncomfortably high domestic prices caused by a smaller Indian crop in the kharif 2022-23 season, India has turned to importing tur from Mozambique, Myanmar, and Malawi.
“Given that tur production in the current kharif crop is likely to remain lower, we are again likely to face supply tightness next year” Kothari said.
