As tur prices drop, Karnataka growers want NAFED to speed up procurement

As the harvest of tur or pigeon pea progresses in Karnataka — one of the key growing States — the agricultural produce marketing committee (APMC) yards’ (mandi) prices will likely come under pressure with the start of market arrivals, triggering concern among growers. The growers want NAFED to start procurement at the earliest so that they get a better price.

In Kalaburgi APMC yard, arrivals on Thursday were around 1,024 quintals against 165 quintals, a week ago. The minimum price has come down to Rs 8,611 per quintal on Thursday compared with Rs 9025 a week ago. Similarly, modal prices, the rate at which most trades take place, have come down to Rs 9300 levels on Thursday from Rs 9469 a week ago. The trend is similar in the neighbouring districts of Yadagir and Bidar, where arrivals are increasing while prices are decreasing.

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“The harvest has started and market arrivals are slowly increasing, while prices have been coming under pressure and this will result in losses to farmers,” Basavaraj Ingin, President of Karnataka Pradesh Redgram Growers Association in Kalaburgi.

Over ₹ 3,000/quintal fall

Mandi prices of tur, which had touched a high of ₹12,600 per quintal have now come down to ₹9,000 levels and may come under further pressure, Ingin said.

NAFED officials recently discussed the option of procurement of tur at modal prices through the farmer producer organisations (FPOs) in the region, Ingin said. “Procurement of tur, without any middlemen, is very much essential for farmers to get better price. We want them to expedite the tur purchases through FPOs and the Karnataka State Pulses Board so that the farmers get immediate payment,” Ingin said.

He said besides the rising market arrivals of tur, the increase in imports of lentils will also weigh on prices going forward. Per the pulses trade, high prices of tur had led to a demand destruction with consumers shifting to other pulses.

Tur crop was impacted by delayed and erratic monsoon this year. While the acreages were marginally down, the Agriculture Ministry’s first advance estimates has pegged the tur output at 33 lakh tonnes this year.