An increased market demand for pulses has prompted dal mills to expand their processing capacities, aiming to accommodate higher retail consumption during the upcoming festive months.
Industry insiders have reported that dal mills have bolstered their processing capacities and procurement efforts in response to a surge in retail market demand for pulses.
All India Dal Mill Association secretary Dinesh Agrawal said, “Consumption of pulses has gone up and this has given a fillip to processing activities in dal mills. Mills have increased processing to cater to rising demand. But spike in rates of tur and urad has hiked the operative cost.”
Dal mills have indicated that the demand for pulses in the retail market is anticipated to remain strong during the festive season.
The price of tur dal has surged from INR 115 per kg to INR 130 per kg, while urad has risen from INR 90 per kg to INR 100 per kg. Similarly, chana has increased from INR 60 per kg to INR 70 per kg, and moong now ranges between INR 90 and INR 100 per kg, up from INR 85 per kg.
Madhya Pradesh serves as a significant hub for dal mills, hosting approximately 700 mills within the state, of which 160 are situated in Indore.
The All India Dal Mill Association has called for the exemption of the 1.70% mandi tax on pulses procured from other states for processing purposes.
The association president Suresh Agrawal said, “Madhya Pradesh government has exempted tur from mandi tax and we are demanding the government to extend exemption on all other pulses like urad, moong, masoor and matar. Exempting pulses purchased for processing purposes will give a boost to mills and increase their competitiveness in the market.”
During their annual general meeting on August 20, the association members appealed for a waiver of mandi tax and urged the government to prioritize mills when it comes to importing pulses.
Additionally, the association put forth the idea that the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India, which is the apex organization responsible for marketing cooperatives dealing with agricultural produce in India, should accord precedence to dal mills when it comes to selling pulses, given that these mills procure pulses for processing.