The Department of Consumer Affairs approved Tamil Nadu’s proposal to impose stock limits on tur and urad pulses. The state government said this move aims to curb price rises and prevent hoarding. Officials will now issue a control order to ensure these essential commodities remain available at reasonable prices for consumers.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has approved Tamil Nadu's proposal to impose stockholding limits on tur and urad pulses to curb price rises and prevent hoarding amid increasing retail inflation.
"The government of India conveys its concurrence to the proposal of the state government to issue an appropriate control order imposing stock limits on tur and urad pulses," DoCA stated in a communication to the state government. Sources told FE that the final nod for imposition of stock holding limits on pulse variants is expected soon.
Last month, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had written to the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, seeking approval to impose stockholding limits on rice, pulses, edible oils and onion under the Essential Commodities Act.
The DoCA has stated that due to the downward trend in onion prices (retail and wholesale) in most parts of India, including Tamil Nadu, a control (stock) order for onions does not seem necessary. It asked the state government to take further necessary action for the issuance and implementation of the control order in respect of tur and urad pulses in accordance with the applicable statutory provisions.
Tamil Nadu has asked the Centre to approve stockholding limits on several agricultural commodities, citing retail prices above national averages and aimed at preventing hoarding and black marketing and ensuring availability of commodities at reasonable prices.
The state government had proposed stock limits of pulses at 200 tonne for wholesalers for each of tur and urag variants of pulses. Stocking limits for retailers and big chain retailers at 5 tonne each.
For the pulses millers, the stock limit for each of the variants of pulses would be average of the last three months of processing capacities or 25% of annual processing capacities, whichever would be higher. For importers of pulses, the state government proposal prohibits importers from holding stock beyond 45 days after actual arrival of shipment.
The state government had cited crop failures linked to climatic factors, El Niño and inadequate rainfall could prompt wholesalers and millers to hold excessive stocks, fuelling inflation and eroding consumers' purchasing power.
Meanwhile, a senior official said the government is closely monitoring the supply situation despite some rise in prices of certain pulse variants. Retail inflation in the 'pulses' category was 4.68% year-on-year in September 2026.
To ease domestic supplies, the government will release its buffer stocks of pulses would be released into the market in a calibrated manner to curb price rises. Current buffer of pulses of all variants has risen to a record 3.8 million tonne (MT).