Panic buying increases pulses demand by 25%
   Date :02-Apr-2020

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Business Bureau :
 
The demand for pulses in the market have increased owing to lockdown imposed by the Government. The lockdown has been clamped due to outbreak of coronavirus. If sources are to be believed there is an increase in demand of pulses including tur dal and channa dal. Pratap Motwani, Secretary of The Wholesale Grain and Seeds Merchants Association while talking to The Hitavada, said, “Due to the fear of coronavirus across the globe, people are using pulses more in their daily meal which has created a large room for the renewed demand.”
 
He said, to contain the spread of the coronavirus, Government had declared 21 days lockdown. “The montlhly sale of pulses which was 21 lakh tonne in the country has reached 26 lakh tonnes with an increase of 25 per cent. We are happy that the country has ample stock of pulses to meet the burgeoning demand,” Motwani said. The Government has requested people to stop panic buying. It has 435 lakh tonnes of foodgrains in the warehouses.
 
They include 272.19 tonnes of rice; 162.79 tonnes of wheat and 37 lakh tonnes of pulses. The Government through its 5 lakh ration shops in the country is giving the beneficiaries 5 kg rice, 1 kg dal as one month ration from April 1 to April 5.
 
“The supply through ration shops will satisfy the need of the people,” Motwani felt. He said lockdown has created huge impact on the transportation. The transporters who are bringing foodgrains to the mandis are taking to and fro charges, as there is no return load assurance for them. Even there is labour problem in the mandis which has also inflated the prices. “When the lockdown period will end, the prices are likely to come down,” Motwani said. The increase in demand for pulses is a good indication for the farmers who are growing pulses as they will get a handsome income for their agriculture produce, he felt.