The study highlighted the need for uniform scientific protocols in storage and milling after examining more than 500 stacks of pulses in 101 warehouses in major producing states.
Stacks of pulses refer to stacks of bags of pulses stored in warehouses, with each stack considered as one quality control unit.
The report, conducted by Mint and conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Central Institute of Postharvest Engineering and Technology (ICAR-CIPHET) for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, tracked quality changes in peas, chickpeas, black gram, green gram and lentils over a 12-month period to help set national standards for shelf life, safe storage and milling.
According to an official involved in the process, better storage standards would help reduce wastage of pulses and subsequently reduce dependence on imports, as around 9% of pulses nationally are lost due to post-harvest problems, including poor storage.
“We have taken note of the findings of the study and are exploring the development of unified standards for pulse storage along with measures to increase domestic production,” the official quoted above said on condition of anonymity.
The findings assume significance at a time when India is facing a shortage of pulses and remains heavily dependent on imports of tur, urad, lentil and chana to meet domestic demand.
Govt launched mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses in October 2025 sa ₹11,440 crore expenditure over five years to achieve self-sufficiency by increasing domestic production to 350 million tonnes (35 million tonnes) by 2030–31 through expanded cultivation, better seeds, procurement of SMEs and value chain support while reducing imports, stabilizing prices and increasing farmers’ incomes.
Pulses production fell from 27.3 million tonnes in FY22 to 26 million tonnes in FY23 and 24.5 million tonnes in FY24, according to Agriculture Department data. In FY25, total production was 25.7 million tonnes.
The 77-page study titled “Development of protocols for shelf life, safe storage, milling result and indicative standards for recovery of large pulses” found that fungal growth and lump formation occurred within just three to four months when black gram and green gram dal were stored in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags at humidity above 12% under laboratory conditions.
The report also found that LDPE bags up to 75 microns thick were used to store pulses, which are unsuitable for dal storage as they do not protect against environmental fluctuations.
Instead, she suggested using polypropylene bags or laminated plastic packaging of adequate thickness, with an airtight seal to minimize insect damage.
Queries sent to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution remained unanswered till press time.
According to agriculture ministry data, the highest output in the last six years was 27.3 million tonnes in FY22, while the lowest of 23 million tonnes was recorded in FY20.
In contrast, import data shows a very different picture, with India’s pulse imports surging from 2.6 million tonnes in FY23 to 6.7 million tonnes in FY25 – a nine-year high – on the back of a favorable tariff regime and softer domestic prices.
The study’s findings show that pulses stored in warehouses operated by central and state storage agencies face wide variations in moisture levels, temperature, humidity and risk of contamination, making them more vulnerable than cereals during long-term storage.
“Investigators recorded quarterly data on damaged grain, grain, moisture content, weight loss and microbial load using Bureau of Indian Standards sampling procedures. Factors such as high humidity and poor aeration were found to affect cooking quality and color and increase susceptibility to insect attack,” the study noted.
The report states that unscientific and inconsistent storage practices contribute to avoidable losses of the essential protein commodity that plays a key role in filling India’s nutrition gap.
Industry and policy experts say the findings reinforce long-standing concerns about outdated storage practices and a lack of commodity-specific standards for handling pulses.
“Going forward, national storage standards for pulses will be essential to minimize post-harvest losses, maintain quality and improve food safety throughout the supply chain. Clear and uniform storage standards can help address moisture control, pest control and quality deterioration while promoting more efficient movement, better inventory management and stronger market confidence in pulses,” said BB Singh, former Deputy Director General (pulses), ICAR.
“One of the main reasons pulses get damaged in storage is because we use the same approach for very different commodities. Each variety responds differently to moisture and ventilation, so even stacking leads to avoidable losses,” said Amith Agarwal, co-founder and CEO of StarAgri, an agricultural supply chain and warehousing company.
“Real-time digital inventory visibility and regular physical checks can help prevent theft and adulteration. But India’s stacking standards were created years ago and have not kept pace with today’s standards. We need modern commodity-specific guidelines backed by smart storage technology to meaningfully reduce wastage,” added Agarwal.
The report noted wide geographic and climatic variability across the states studied and highlighted how storage performance can vary depending on local temperature and humidity. Sampling logs showed that not all pulses were stored in all states. For example, lentils were mainly stored in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, while stocks of pigeon peas were concentrated in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. A total of 208 chickpea samples, 177 pigeon pea samples, 72 black gram samples, 42 green gram and 30 lentil samples were analyzed.
The study warned against the continued use of methyl bromide – banned globally under the Montreal Protocol – and recommended that fumigation be done only with aluminum phosphide at prescribed doses for the storage of imported pulses in ports.
He further emphasized that a bruchida infestation can cause serious damage within weeks and that fumigation should be done immediately when the insect is detected.
Due to the high humidity in the ports, the study calls for the mandatory use of pheromone traps – which attract and trap specific insect pests using species-specific chemical signals – and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) insect traps in every storage room to effectively monitor and control infestations.
