Centre to create buffer stock of pulses to counter price rise

New Delhi: The Government on Friday said it will buy 40,000 tonnes of pulses from farmers to create a buffer stock for controlling the prices, which have reached to Rs 190 per kilogram.

"The Government will buy 30 thousand tonnes of tur and 10 thousand tonnes of urad dal directly from farmers. It would be used as buffer stock," Minister of State for Agriculture, Sanjeev Balyan told the media here.

"The buffer stock will be sold to consumers when the prices of the commodity are high," he added.

Balyan also said that the government has earmarked Rs. 200 crore from price stabilisation fund for the buffer stock.

"Five thousand tonnes of imported tur dal has reached Chennai and Mumbai ports, of which half of the quantity is being given to Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. One thousand tonnes imported tur dal has reached Delhi and is being sold at a price of Rs. 120 per kilogram at Kendriya Bhandar outlets," he added.

The prices of pulses have risen for the past few months due to a fall in domestic output. The retail prices of tur dal have gone up to Rs 190 per kilogram from Rs 85 per kg a year ago in most parts of the country. Similarly, urad dal prices rose to nearly Rs 190 per kilogram from Rs 100 per kilogram last year