Published Jul 15, 2025 | 12:31 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 15, 2025 | 12:31 PM
Tur dal. (iStock)
Synopsis: Karnataka Minister Priyan Kharge accused the Union government of “abandoning” Tur Dal farmers by “low quality” products from other countries, and making them sell their produce at prices less than the MSP. According to reports, the prices of the pulse variety came down significantly after the Union government had extended the duty-free import period for tur dal by another year.
Karnataka Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister Priyan Kharge accused the Union government of “abandoning” tur dal farmers by “low quality” products from other countries, and making them sell their produce at prices less than the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
In a post on X, Kharge said Karnataka is India’s top tur dal producing state, and that over 40 percent of the production is from just one district, Kalaburagi — home to the GI-tagged Kalaburagi Tur known for its superior quality.
He said Karnataka farmers have been left in the lurch by the Modi Government. “In 2024–25, India produced 35 lakh metric tonnes of Tur, but the Modi government procured less than 10% of it,” he said.
Kharge said farmers were forced to sell their harvest at very low prices, owing to imports from other countries.
“Karnataka alone produced 10 lakh quintals, but farmers were forced to sell at ₹6,000/quintal, well below the MSP of ₹7,550, causing a loss of ₹1,550 crore to our farmers. This year’s MSP is ₹8,000, but prices have crashed to ₹6,250, nearly half of last year’s rates,” he wrote on X.
“Why? Because the Centre is choosing to flood the market with cheap, low-quality Tur from other countries abandoning our own farmers. It’s shocking that Tur imports have been duty-free since May 2021, with the waiver extended till March 2026. In 2024–25 alone, over 13 lakh metric tonnes were imported, and MoUs with countries like Mozambique have been signed to import another 2 lakh metric tonnes,” he added.
He noted that even though the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) report admitted that Karnataka demanded an MSP of ₹16,548, with a cost of production at ₹11,032, the Union government fixed it at ₹8,000.
Last year, Kalaburgi farmers urged the Union government to fix a separate minimum support price for their GI-tagged variety — 20 percent over the MSP for the general tur dal. They had said it would give the GI-tagged produce its due recognition and help incentivise growers to produce more.
In January this year, the Union government had extended the duty-free import period for tur dal by another year.
A notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on 20 January, stated, “The policy of duty-free import of tur dal has been extended until March 31, 2026.”
According to reports, the prices of the pulse variety came down significantly following the decision.
“A decade ago, the BJP came to power with grand promises of doubling farmers’ incomes and building an #AtmanirbharBharat. Today, those promises lie in ruins as the agrarian economy reels under neglect and mismanagement,” Kharge said.
“Meanwhile, BJP’s Union Ministers from Karnataka appear more focused on peddling hate than standing up for the rightful interests of the state they represent,” Kharge added.
Karnataka is India’s top Tur Dal producing state.
And over 40% of it comes from just one district, Kalaburagi, home to the GI-tagged Kalaburagi Tur known for its superior quality.
But once again, our farmers have been left in the lurch by the Modi Government.
In 2024–25, India…
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) July 15, 2025
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
