New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to examine a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the Union government’s decision to allow unrestricted imports of yellow peas.

Issuing notice, a bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N.K. Singh sought responses from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Union Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Commerce and Industry, and Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution in the matter.

The PIL filed by Kisan Mahapanchayat sought a direction to the Centre to impose restrictions on the import of yellow peas to ensure that their domestic selling price remains at or above the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Alternatively, the petition sought a prohibition on the import of yellow peas, as recommended by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), under the Ministry of Agriculture, to protect Indian farmers and boost domestic production.

The PIL argued that the policy to allow unrestricted imports of yellow peas threatened the livelihood of Indian farmers and undermined national efforts toward self-reliance in pulse production.

“The successive notifications (allowing unrestricted imports of yellow peas) are causing severe loss and damage to Indian farmers by adversely affecting their livelihood since, consequent to lifting of all restrictions on import of yellow peas, unprecedented high imports of yellow peas in India have reduced domestic prices much below MSP and have disincentivised Indian farmers from pulse production,” the plea stated.

Further, the plea, filed through advocate Neha Rathi, highlighted that the surge in yellow pea imports, reportedly 2.9 million tonnes in 2024 alone, has driven domestic prices of pulses below the MSP.

The PIL said that imported yellow peas are sold at approximately Rs 3,500 per quintal, far below the MSP for Indian-grown pulses like tur/arhar (Rs 8,000), moong (Rs 8,768), and urad (Rs 7,800).

“Taking into account the alarming levels of imports of yellow peas and distortion of domestic market, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) (an expert body, which also recommends Minimum Support Price (MSP) to the Government, and functions under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) in its report dated March 2025 recommended a complete prohibition on any further import of yellow peas,” the plea stated.

It referred to the CACP’s recommendations, highlighting that the large-scale import of yellow peas has negatively impacted the domestic pulses market and prices, thereby adversely affecting Indian farmers.

The PIL has urged the apex court to set aside the Centre’s decision to allow unrestricted imports of yellow peas to restore balance in the domestic pulses market and protect Indian farmers from further economic harm.

–IANS

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