Centre looks to Karnataka to tame pulse prices

BENGALURU: After Rahul Gandhi’s recent jibe at PM Modi over the sky-high prices of arhar and other dal, it may sound ironic that the Centre can bet on Congress-ruled Karnataka to bring down prices and fight inflation.

The state –– considered the dal bowl of the country –– has sown about 2 lakh hectares more than average for tur (arhar) and other pulses, and is expecting a bumper crop that could push down prices of dal. “It will bring down food inflation to a great extent and benefit the middle classes which are upset about paying Rs 130/kg for tur,” state agriculture minister Krishna Byre Gowda told ET. “Our worry is that prices should not plummet and hit farmers badly,” he said.

The state went into an overdrive over the last two years to increase the area under pulse cultivation, both in traditional regions like Kalaburagi and in newer areas such as Chikballapur. In the last two years, however, Karnataka faced severe drought and could not register any significant gains in dal production.

This year, farmers have been getting about Rs 9,000 a quintal in the local markets itself, making pulses production a highly profitable venture. Rains have been plentiful and hold out the promise of being a regular monsoon, leading to sowing continuing into August, Gowda said.

Farmers completed sowing the target of 15.36 lakh hectares that was expected for the entire season and the agriculture department expects production of 15.9 lakh tonnes of pulses against the original 8.42 lakh tonnes. State agriculture price commission chairperson TN Prakash Kammardi said this could mean a flood in the market in November, December and January, leading to prices falling.

“It will harm the farmers if prices tank,” Kammardi said. “I have recommended the state government to set up a pulses federation that will purchase pulses at a fixed price from farmers and redistribute these through PDS. That is the only way to ensure both production through support for the farmers and distribution at reasonable rates to the consumers,” he said.