By IANS,
New Delhi : India has decided to import one million tonnes of lentils or pulses annually from Myanmar towards meeting the annual deficit of nearly three million tonnes between domestic demand and supply.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Thursday authorised the Department of Consumer Affairs, ministry of agriculture, to prepare the blueprint for importing lentils from Myanmar in the current fiscal.
“The Cabinet has approved to authorise the Department of Consumer Affairs to finalise the framework of government-to-government purchases of pulses from Myanmar up to one million tonnes annually, commencing 2008-09,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi told reporters after the meeting.
“The decision will help in ensuring domestic availability of pulses and stabilizing their prices,” Dasmunsi said.
India’s annual consumption of lentils is estimated to be around 18 million tonnes, while the production was 15.11 million tonnes during 2007-08 as per the 4th Advance Estimate.