New Delhi, Feb. 11 -- The Centre is considering allowing duty-free import of urad to beyond 31 March amid a supply crunch, two people aware of the matter said.

The pulse variety, which is widely consumed in Southern India, is allowed to be imported without any duty, and the policy is likely to be continued given that its domestic production has been on a steady decline.

Urad production has fallen from 2.7 million tonnes (mt) in FY22 to 2.6mt in FY23 and 2.3mt in FY24, as per agriculture ministry data. With demand rising, any supply shortfall could push up prices.

"The government is reviewing all food items allowed for shipment without tariffs, as there is a gap between demand and supply. The inclusion of urad in the list of duty-free i...