Chana procurement increased to 20.41 lakh tonnes (lt) on Monday. Maharashtra, so far, tops the list of States with over 6.61 lt having been procured, closely followed by Madhya Pradesh at 6.13 lt and Gujarat at 5.35 lt. Procurement of chana at minimum support price (MSP) by organizations such as NAFED and FCI has crossed the Two million tonne mark.
Despite the increase in quantity procured, prices of chana are still ruling below the minimum support price (MSP) level of ₹5,230 for a quintal. The modal price (the price at which most trades take place) is currently ranging between ₹4,200 and ₹4,800 across several markets in the key producing States.
The production of chana is seen higher than early expectations on better yields in States such as Gujarat and Maharashtra. In its third advanced estimates, the Agriculture Ministry has revised the production estimates for chana and secured it at a record 139.8 lt which is up by 17.4% over last year’s 119.1 lt.
Suresh Agrawal, President, All India Dal Mills Association in Indore, said, “The Government has procured significant amounts of chana and prices are ranging between ₹4,600 and ₹4,800 per quintal, while chana dal prices are at ₹5,8006,100 per quintal depending on the quality.” He adding that, The demand for pulses is dull due to availability of cheaper vegetables at present. Going forward, the demand could pick up resulting in prices improving.
