Pulses Exports from India: Everything You Need to Know

Pulses, sometimes referred to as the “poor man’s meat” for their high protein and protein content, are a major position in the Indian agriculture.

India is the largest global importer, producer as well as consumer of pulses which account for approximately 25% of the world’s production, 15percent of trade internationally, in addition to 27% the world’s consumption of these nutritious crops.

The year ended in FY23 saw India traded 775,024.48 tons of pulses around the world with a value of approximately Rs. 5,397.86 Crores. The top export destinations are Bangladesh, China, U.A.E, U.S.A and Nepal.

Pulses Cultivation in India

Pulses are dry, edible seeds of plants in the Leguminosae family. Due to their high mineral and protein quantity, pulses have particular importance for those adhering to vegetarian diets.

In recent years the pulse industry in India has seen a significant increase, and the country accounts for nearly a quarter of the world’s production of pulses.

According to the data published from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare The pulses’ annual production was less than 20 million tonnes between 2010 and 2016. Since 2016-17, the total production of pulses has been consistently exceeding the 20 million tonne threshold. The rise in the production of pulses is directly linked to the exponential increase in the minimum support price (MSP) and the purchase of pulses.

The increase in the production of pulses in the country is apparent in trade.From 2014 until 2020, there’s been an impressive decrease in the imports of pulses.

Variety of Pulses Exported and Imported

Major Pulses Exporting Countries

While India is an important player in the global export of pulses market, it’s important to recognize that other countries have also been notable contributors. Some of the most prominent global pulses exporting nations, with the exception of India include the following:

Canada

Canada is known for its top-quality chickpeas and lentils, is a major player on the world pulses market. In recent times, Canada has consistently exported significant quantities of pulses. Its main export destinations are Turkey, India and the United States, India, and Turkey.

Australia

Australia is an important exporter of various pulses like chickpeas and lentils. Australian pulses are renowned for their quality and have found them in markets like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh and many more.

Myanmar

Myanmar has gained a lot of attention as an exporter of pulses especially in the chickpea and lentil categories. The exports of Myanmar’s pulses are mostly targeted to countries such as India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates.

United States

The United States is a notable exporter of pulses. This includes dried legumes and beans. The exports of pulses are mostly targeted to markets in Mexico as well as the Caribbean and in the Middle East.

The countries listed, with the exception of India are a major part of the world pulses market for export, which contributes to the global availability of pulses to consumers and business alike.

Self-reliance in Pulses: Pulses Imports by India

India heavily relied on imports until 2016-17. Since the time, there has been a dramatic drop in the imports of pulses. Imports dropped by $4.2 billion during 2016-17, to $1.94 billion by 2022-23.

The decrease in imports of pulses by India is largely due to the basis of a rise in domestic production.

Two items that are imported have seen a dramatic decline The yellow/white peas (matar) and chickpeas (chana).

At their highest the annual imports of yellow/white peas were greater than 3 million tonnes while the quantity of chickpeas were able to reach 1.25 million tonnes. The reason is easy that yellow/white peas originate from Canada, Russia, Ukraine and Lithuania were being substituted for chickpeas, as prices soared because of lower Indian production.

In the years following 2016 the production of domestic chickpeas significantly increased, mostly due to incentives from the government that encouraged farmers to grow their crops in the winter-spring time.

The increase was aided by an import duty of 60% on chickpeas in March 2018 and the hefty government procurements with minimum support price (MSP). MSP for chickpeas jumped from Rs 3,100 to 5,335 for a quintal between 2013-14 and 2022-23. This led to a halt of imports.

However, the results of the production of Chana is not duplicated in other pulses, such as Arhar as well as Pigeon pea.

Pulses exports out of India have seen an impressive exponential growth in the last three years. In FY22 they increased to $359 million. However, in FY23, they jumped to $662 million, which is an astonishing 84% increase.

Growing production is definitely improving exports, but there are some issues like insufficient storage facilities, the limited shelf life for pulses, the variability of the size of seeds, a strong demand from the domestic market, and variances in the maturity of pulses are factors that can affect Indian exports.

Exports of Pulses from India

India to Worldwide Exporter: Connecting Markets, Delivering Trust!

India is the third most important exporter of pulses around the world. In FY23, it exported the majority the pulses it produced to Bangladesh, China, U.A.E, U.S.A and Nepal.

The development of these exports is dependent on a number of variables, including India’s domestic cultivation of the pulse, that may change due to the weather and crop disease.

The policies of the government, including export bans or quotas can also play an important role in ensuring stability of local prices and guarantee sufficient supply to Indian consumers.

Exports of pulses from India have experienced substantial exponential growth over the last three years. In FY22, they rose to $359 million. However, in FY23 they increased to $662 million, which is an astounding 84% growth.

The rising production is certainly improving exports, but there are some issues like inadequate storage facilities, a limited time to store pulses, a variety in the size of the seeds, high demand from the domestic market, and variations in maturity levels of pulses are a few factors that can affect Indian exports.

Find exporters of pulses from India

Locating reliable pulse exporters in India which produce premium pulses for export purposes could be a huge challenge in the world pulse market. There are many factors to consider, such as ignorance and challenges for multiple suppliers as well as physical distances, language barriers and different business practices make finding reliable suppliers of pulses in India an arduous task.

EXPORA is a major pulses importer and exporter. We import various varieties of pulses from Africa and export them to the world. EXPORA Exports pulses from India across the globe too. We recognize that it’s important to collaborate with a trusted network of manufacturers and suppliers of pulses across India and across the globe. As a top pulses export firm in India We guarantee the availability of a variety of pulse varieties that meet the various needs of our customers around the globe. Through our experience and solid relationships with trusted pulses producers as well as suppliers from India We ensure high-quality and reliable pulse exports to the country.