The nation has been consistently striving to bring down the prices for essential commodities like pulses. Finally, the centre implements a milestone order that sets a stock limit on the pulses. Further, the said order is applicable to everyone including wholesalers, retailers, millers and importers.
The order- Stock Limits and Movement Restrictions on Specified Food Products
The above-mentioned order has been issued with immediate effect since July 2. Accordingly, it specifies the stock limit for all the pulses except Moong dal. In case, the stock limit exceeds the set limit, the concerned people must declare it on the online portal of the Department of consumers Affairs.
Stock Limits
According to the order, the stock limit is as follows:
- 1. For wholesalers- 200MT
- 2. For retailers- 5MT
- 3. For importers– 200MT
The Decline in Rate of Pulses and Oilseeds
A series of actions undertaken by the government has led to a decrease in price and an increase in production. For instance, the yield in 2020-21 is 255.8 LMT, the highest in six years. One of the main reasons for the decline in price is the Price Monitoring Scheme. In the past six months, 22 price monitoring centres have been set up. Additionally, digitization allows transparency and aids in tracking price trends. Furthermore, Marketing services are being employed to access the ground-level situations.
Government Interventions to Control Prices of Pulses
Few other measures in place to control the pricing are hereunder:
- Supplying Moong, Urad, and Tur dal through retail units such as FPS, Consumer Cooperative Societies, etc.
- The centre bore the costs related to processing, transportation, packaging, and services charges of NAFED
- Buffer stock is built via increased procurement from farmers.
- The Price Stabilization Fund and Price Support Scheme helped improve farmers income
- Speedy clearance of food commodities to soften the crude oil prices.
The pandemic shredded the supply chain into pieces. Further, its impact on the economy was dreadful. However, the proactive measures taken by the government facilitated an unhindered supply of essential commodities like pulses to its citizens. PM Modi has been working towards making India a self-reliant nation and these measures are definitely a positive step forward.