India’s Supreme Court has stepped in to review a key public interest litigation challenging the government’s move to allow unlimited imports of yellow peas. This decision comes as farmers raise alarms about its impact on their livelihoods.
On Thursday, a bench led by Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N.K. Singh issued notices to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and several Union ministries, including Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Commerce and Industry, and Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. They want quick responses on the issue.
The petition, filed by Kisan Mahapanchayat, calls on the government to either restrict yellow peas imports or ban them outright. The goal? Keep domestic prices of pulses at or above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to support Indian farmers and ramp up local pulse production.
Farmers argue that unrestricted imports are flooding the market and crashing prices below MSP levels. This not only hurts their income but also weakens India’s push for self-reliance in pulses. “These imports have led to massive losses for farmers, discouraging them from growing pulses at home,” the plea points out.
In 2024 alone, India imported a whopping 2.9 million tonnes of yellow peas. That surge has driven down local prices—imported yellow peas sell for about Rs 3,500 per quintal, compared to MSPs like Rs 8,000 for tur/arhar, Rs 8,768 for moong, and Rs 7,800 for urad.
The petition highlights a strong recommendation from the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), an expert body under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. In its March 2025 report, CACP urged a full ban on further yellow peas imports to fix the distorted domestic market and protect farmers from economic fallout.
Advocate Neha Rathi filed the case, stressing how these imports undermine national food security efforts. The Supreme Court now has a chance to weigh in and potentially roll back the policy, helping restore balance in India’s pulses market.
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