Climbing the Charts: India’s 2024 Pulse Imports Hit Second Highest Ever

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has published India's import volume data for December 2024, revealing that the country imported 719 thousand metric tonnes of pulses during the month. This represents a significant 67% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

Customs data indicates that India's total pulse imports for the full year, from January to December 2024, amounted to 6.874 million metric tonnes (MMT). This marks a sharp rise from 3.633 MMT in the previous year, making it the second-highest annual import volume on record and the highest for a January-to-December period since 2017.

Trade movement data for 2024 highlights Canada as the top supplier, contributing 28% of total pulse imports, followed by Myanmar (15%), Russia (14%), Australia (12%), Mozambique (6%), and Tanzania (6%).

Among the different pulse varieties imported, peas accounted for the largest share at 43% of total imports, while pigeon peas ranked second at 18%. Lentils made up 15%, Black Matpe 11%, and Desi Chickpeas 6%.

The sharp rise in pulse imports is attributed to a combination of reduced domestic production and increasing demand across India.

Will this continue in 2025?