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Prices of Indian pulses double
DUBAI - The prices of Indian pulses, one of the staple food for people from the subcontinent, have doubled, thanks to an export ban imposed by the Indian government last month.
According to sources in the market, the import of all Indian pulses has stopped since last month after the heavy rains in India which have badly affected the production of pulses in different Indian states, including the major producer Andhra Pradesh.
“We used to import tonnes of pulses from India and distribute all over the UAE. But since last month the import has been stopped as the Indian government imposed a ban on the export of pulses,” said an official with Adil Traders, a major distributor of Indian pulses in the UAE.
“According to exporters, the crisis may continue till March next year,” he added.
Another trader in Dubai pointed out that the demand for Indian pulses has shot up over the past few years. “We are looking for alternatives from other countries to meet the increasing demand,” he said.
The increase in the prices of pulses is affecting restaurants, retail outlets and consumers.
Abdul Rahman, purchase manager of Emke Group, which runs the Lulu supermarket chain, said, “Lentils from Turkey, Australia and Pakistan are available in the market. But it cannot compete with Indian pulses in quality. Most of our customers prefer only Indian pulses.”
“One kg of Indian pulses was previously priced at Dh2 in the local market. But now it has shot up to Dh5 per kg and if the export ban continues for a longer period, the price will be hiked further,” he added.
Naseer, owner of an Indian restaurant in Deira, said: “I am forced to remove certain dishes from the menu because of the price rise. Some of our customers demand the Indian dal, but I cannot sell it at a cheaper price now. I hate to increase the price of India’s most staple food, so I decided to strike it off the menu until the prices drop.”
Sujatha Gopakumar, an Indian homemaker, said, “We are already struggling with the escalating cost of living in Dubai and now even the most affordable of the foodstuffs is beyond the reach of many.”
“We will be forced to consume less of Indian pulses, but we cannot eliminate it from our meals,” Sujatha added.
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