Is India changing its attitude on a 13-year policy? If so, that could have a big impact on the Pulse market.
India’s population is growing, and so are its food imports. In recent months we have often reported that Montana’s pulse growers have been increasingly focused on India.
Currently, the issue of India’s fumigation requirements has been a growing source of concern.
The issue goes clear back to
Even back then India recognized that fumigating pulses at U.S. processing plants was impractical because of the relatively high ambient temperatures needed for MeBr fumigation. Fortunately, India has long granted U.S. shippers a waiver from the fumigation
For the past 13 years, the Indian government has routinely extended that waiver on a semi-annual basis, and the current waiver is set to expire on March 31. Unfortunately, there may be a problem ahead.
In September 2016, the India Plant Protection and Quarantine unit (PPQ) indicated a change in attitude on waiving the fumigation requirement for imported pulses.
The USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council began talking with USDA staff last October about avoiding potential disruptions in access to the India market. The USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has been in regular contact with PPQ to resolve this issue, including recent face-to-face talks in New Delhi.
Canada has also been granted an exemption from fumigation that expires on March 31, and Canadian officials have also been working to get an extension of the waiver.
According to the Dry Pea and Lentil Council’s February “Pulse Pipeline” newsletter, the Canadian discussion has not been reassuring.
Canadian officials confirmed that India had not yet agreed to an extension of the fumigation waiver for Canadian pulses. This news came out of meetings in Delhi this week between Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and India Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ).
At the same time, the Canadian officials did not say that the window had irrevocably closed on reaching some agreement prior to the March 31st deadline. The Canadian Agriculture Minister will be in India next week and the fumigation waiver will be on his agenda.
Pete Klaiber, VP of Marketing for the USADPLC says there is hope of a satisfactory outcome for the US pulse trade. “APHIS is well aware of the disruption caused by this uncertainty so close to the March 31st deadline and they are working to get a positive out- come in the near term. We are in daily contact with APHIS, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, and members of the India pulse trade on this issue.”
Stay tuned, Pulse Growers. India’s policy could have a significant impact on pulse crop prices.
Source: February Issue of the “Pulse Pipeline” newsletter of the Dry Pea and Lentil Growers Association
