Urad,bajra prices stay below minimum support price

PUNE: As kharif harvesting progresses , prices of pulses such as urad and bajra have fallen below the minimum support price ( MSP). Farmers are demanding that the government procure the pulses to support the prices. This year, production of urad and moong is expected to decrease by about 50% due to deficient rainfall in the pulsesgrowing states.

Despite the estimates of a lower domestic production, urad prices are ruling low because the landed price of imported urad beans from Myanmar is much lower. As against the MSP of Rs 4,300 per quintal, urad prices in most of the markets in the country are in the range of Rs 3,000 per quintal to Rs 4000 per quintal. In Maharashtra, 43 government procurement centres have been set up in 11 districts since September 25.

“We have procured more than 700 tonne of urad till last week,” said an official of the Maharashtra Marketing Federation . After the state government's entry into the market, urad prices in open market have started improving. “Price of imported urad was Rs 3,350 per quintal to Rs 3,400 per quintal till a few days ago.

After Maharashtra started procurement, prices of imported urad have increased to Rs 3,700 per quintal,” said a dal miller from Akola, one of the important trading centre for pulses. Bajra prices were below MSP of Rs 1,175 per quintal in Rajasthan.

At Jaipur , prices on Tuesday were Rs 1,080 per quintal while supplies were about 13,900 quintal. At Alwar , Bandikui, Dausa and Kharithal where bajra arrivals have increased, prices are much below the MSP.