India mulls cutting import duties on pulses to tame food prices

The government is considering lowering import tariffs on pulses after a patchy monsoon raised output concerns, government and industry sources told Reuters on Oct 1. Any cut could be limited to lentils and yellow peas, with chickpeas excluded. Food inflation stood at 5.95% in August.

India is considering lowering import tariffs on pulses to boost supplies and curb food inflation after a patchy monsoon raised output concerns, government and industry sources told Reuters.

Any duty cut could be limited to lentils and yellow peas, with chickpeas excluded; red lentils and chickpeas currently face a 10% tax while yellow peas are taxed at 30%.

Food inflation has been rising since December and stood at 5.95% in August, with top pulse-growing states receiving up to 30% less rain than average.