Govt buys 6.38 lakh tonnes of pulses for buffer stock

Government has created 6.38 lakh tonnes of pulse buffer stock so far through domestic purchase and imports.

"As on November 21, a buffer of 6,38,205.55 tonnes of pulses, viz, 1,30,492.33 tonnes of chana; 2,04,030.859 tonnes of tur; 1,43,555.76 tonnes of masur; 83,181.792 tonnes of urad; and 76,943.81 tonnes of moong, have been built through domestic procurement and import contracts," Minister of State for Food C R Chaudhary said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

The government has approved domestic procurement of 10 lakh tonnes of pulses, comprising 5 lakh tonnes each in kharif and rabi marketing seasons.

"Of the 20 lakh tonnes of buffer stock of pulses approved by the government, the tentative target is 10 lakh tonnes through domestic procurement from farmers and another 10 lakh tonnes from imports," Chaudhary said.

The government is targeting a record 20.75 million tonnes of pulses output in the ongoing 2016-17 crop year (July-June) on the back of good monsoon.