India is looking to import pulses from Myanmar and African nations to counter a domestic shortfall of 7.6 million tonnes that has driven local prices of key pulses like chickpea to a record high, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said.

More purchases by India, the world's top consumer of pulses, could help the country rein in its headline inflation, which hit a near two-year high in June on double-digit annual increases in prices of sugar, vegetables and pulses. “The challenge of demand-supply gap of about 7.6 million tonnes (in pulses) is being addressed via public and private imports,” Paswan tweeted. India had said it would help Mozambique cultivate pulses and then import them through government-to-government deals.

India consumes nearly 22 million tonnes of pulses annually, but relies heavily on imports to meet demand as output has been hit by uncertain monsoons.

Source:thehindu.com