Amid indications of fall in chana production, govt on Friday exempted "desi chana" (Bengal gram) from import duty till March 2025 while also announcing 40% export duty on onions, a kitchen item that has so far remained on banned list of exports. The govt also extended duty exemption on imports of yellow peas for which bill of entry was issued on or before Oct 31, 2024. In the past month, chana prices have increased over 10% to around Rs 6,300 a quintal in Delhi compared to Rs 5,700 last month. Traders said that India gets Bengal gram from countries like Australia and Tanzania. Govt has been closely monitoring prices of key food items and is keen to ensure that prices do not rise at a time when the country is in the midst of elections. While the powerful traders lobby has been pressing for a removal of the export ban on onions, govt has so far not relented on the demand.