Minister: Duty-Free Import Policy Hurting State’s Red Gram Farmers

Quick Summary:

• Kalaburagi red gram, recognized globally for its superior quality, has received the geographical Indication (GI) tag as “Gulbarga Tur Dal.”
• Karnataka is india’s largest producer of red gram, contributing 40% from Kalaburagi district.
• Karnataka Rural Progress Minister Priyank Kharge critically highlighted the Central government’s duty-free import policy for red gram.
• Farmers in Karnataka produced one lakh tonnes of red gram but were forced to sell below the Minimum Support Price (MSP. The selling price was ₹6,000 per quintal against an MSP of ₹7,550 in 2024-25 and ₹6,250 against this year’s MSP of ₹8,000 per quintal.
• India imported over 13 lakh tonnes of duty-free red gram in 2024-25 and plans additional imports due to agreements with countries like Mozambique.
• Minimum Support Price set at ₹8,000 per quintal is well below recommendations by Karnataka farmers and agricultural reports that estimate production costs at ₹11,032.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The situation underscores critical challenges facing Indian agriculture amid increasing globalization. Red gram farming not only holds economic significance for states such as Karnataka but also represents an irreplaceable cultural heritage with recognition via GI tags. Duty-free imports until March 2026 are aimed at stabilizing market supply; though, as highlighted by Priyank Kharge’s statements and data points on MSP gaps and production costs suggest domestic farmers face financial strain due policies.Fine-tunerowing vigilance needs be careful ensuring farmer excluded amid imports as drafts