Over the course of a single month, a rise in imports of arhar/tur from Africa and masoor from Canada, coupled with the government’s stringent measures on stock limits and proactive sales of chana, have collectively contributed to a 4% reduction in pulse prices. This decline was further exacerbated by diminished consumer demand resulting from elevated price levels.
According to a report by the Indian Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the wholesale price of tur/arhar dal, which stands as the costliest pulse in the market, has fallen by 4% in the last month. This decline can be attributed to the central government’s imposition of stock limits on traders and processors.
The cost of chana dal, presently the most affordable pulse option in the market, has dropped by 4% within a single month, and masoor prices have also eased by over 2% due to increased imports and diminished demand.
As per IPGA’s analysis, tur prices are projected to face continued downward pressure in the upcoming week due to subdued demand and the expected influx of supply from Africa.
Chana dal prices are poised to decline even further, with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (Nafed), a government agency, actively selling it at reduced rates.
“Chana prices continued to fall in October due to surge in supply of chana at affordable rates, competitive tenders by Nafed and popularity of Bharat Dal,” IPGA said in a report.
Nonetheless, industry leaders believe that any uptick in festival demand could result in a modest uptick in pulse prices.
In the vegetables section, tomatoes, which had surged to over INR 150 per kilogram in the retail market in July, are currently available for INR 10-20 per kilogram.
Market insiders have indicated that tomatoes have consistently been priced at INR 3-6 per kilogram in the wholesale markets for over a month, and this pattern is expected to persist for the next 2-3 weeks.
At the Pimpalgaon APMC in Nashik, where they are currently receiving more than 250,000 crates of tomatoes daily, each crate weighing 20 kg, the prices are within the range of INR 3-6/kg.
“Farmers had planted more tomatoes due to record high prices in July. Dry weather reduced damages to the delicate crop, which has substantially increased the production in Nashik,” said Sanjay Londe, secretary of Pimpalgaon APMC.
According to traders, a potential rise in tomato prices may occur as arrivals from other significant cultivation areas, such as Bengaluru, start to diminish.
