KARACHI: Wholesale prices of various pulses have dropped by Rs10-20 per kilogram owing to the release of some containers from the port amid a Rs7 recovery in the dollar rate during the last three working days.

The wholesale rate of masoor has swelled to Rs255 per kg from Rs205 on Jan 1. The rate in the wholesale market for channa pulse increased to Rs225-230 from Rs180 per kg over the same period.

Mash and moong wholesale rates rose to Rs400 and Rs290 from Rs315 and Rs225 per kg, respectively.

A pulses wholesaler in Dandia Bazaar said the rate of masoor has plunged to Rs245 per kg while that of the gram pulse is at Rs210. The wholesale rate of mash is Rs390 while moong is available at Rs250-270 per kg.

He said black gram, which is converted into gram pulse, arrives from Australia and Tanzania while masoor is being imported from Canada and Australia. Mash is imported from Myanmar while locally produced masoor has also arrived in the markets.

Despite a drop in wholesale rates, traders in retail markets have kept the “retail pulses rates” unchanged while claiming to have procured stocks at costly wholesale prices. Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA) Chairman Rauf Ibrahim said that 2,400 containers were released in the last two months, followed by another 1,000 containers in the last four to five days alone owing to the intervention from the State Bank of Pakistan governor.

However, around 90,000-100,000 tonnes of pulses are still at the port on three bulk carriers and 2,300 containers. He added that imports of pulses are going on as banks are opening the letters of credit (LCs).

“The fear of pulses shortage appears to have subsided now,” said Mr Ibrahim. He expressed optimism that a further fall in wholesale rates might occur if containers continued getting released from the port in the next week and amid some stability in the rupee-dollar parity.

However, the issue of withdrawing detention charges by shipping lines and demurrage charges by the port authorities needs to be resolved to bring down the landed cost of pulses, he said.

According to the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ending on February 9, national average rates of masoor, moong, mash and gram pulse stood at Rs250-330, Rs230-340, Rs280-480 and Rs230-320 per kg.

Pakistan’s pulses imports in the first half of 2022-23 soared to 728,855 tonnes and amounted to $533 million versus 528,707 tonnes at a value of $346m, showing a jump of 38pc and 54pc in quantity and value over the same period a year ago.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2023