The State of India's Pulses Sector

Pulses in India have recently become a topic of concern among policymakers. Members of the Opposition, for instance, have pointed to the 'exceptionally high' cost of certain pulses as an indication of high food inflation. As a consequence, the government has set up a committee on pulses, headed by Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian, to deliberate on the country's pulse production, trade and distribution. While a politically salient explanation for the price of pulses has always revolved around the phenomenon of hoarding, it is important to understand the market dynamics of the sector to address the problem, and various other factors that may be involved as well. In other words, issues in production, cultivation, distribution, importation and consumption need to be carefully examined.