BILLINGS — Montana pea and lentil farmers are at risk of being shut out of one of the world’s biggest markets for their crops: India.
The Billings Gazette reports that the state has been turned away from the country because of new import policies in India that limit the amount of pulse crops warehouses can store.
Two weeks ago, India officials began confiscating warehouse reserves of more than 350 metric tons, or about 10 commercial truck loads. Warehouses had as much as 10,000 tons in storage, and buyers have since begun to turn away ships because they cannot store orders.
Montana farmers produce more than 700,000 tons of lentils and peas annually. About 90 percent of Montana pulse is exported.