Centre must scrap curbs on import of pulses May 13, 2021 The quantity restrictions have outlived their utility The pulses market deserves close policy attention. The quantitative restrictions (QRs) imposed by the government on select pulses like tur/arhar (pigeonpea), urad (black matpe) and moong (green gram) in August 2017 are possibly outliving their utility under the present circumstances. The rationale that existed nearly four years ago — to prop up weak domestic prices and support growers here from the so-called onslaught of imported pulses — does not apply any more. Current market prices of these pulses are well above the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the government; and importantly, QRs have not helped expand domestic cultivation to any significant extent.