Faisalabad, Feb. 23 -- Agricultural specialists have expressed serious concern over the persistent drop in Pakistan's pulse output, cautioning that the country is spending close to $980 million annually on imports to fulfil local requirements, as reported by The Express Tribune (TET).

Rana Muhammad Tayyib, President of the Punjab Pulses Importers Association and Chairman of the Grain Market, stated that before 1998, Pakistan was among the top exporters of pulses. However, the export ban introduced during the Musharraf period discouraged growers, as pulses turned into a low-profit crop. He further noted that the country's yearly consumption demand is about 1.62 million tons, out of which nearly 1.07 million tons are brought in through imp...