Surge in prices seen driving chana acreage

As prices of pulses rule high amidst short supplies, farmers are seen showing their preference to plant chana or chickpea in the ongoing rabi or winter sowing season.

The sowing of chickpea has already begun in the southern States such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu and early trends suggest that acreage under this main pulses crop is set to make a significant gain this season.

Planting in Madhya Pradesh – the largest producer that accounts for about 43 per cent of the country’s total output – is yet to begin.

In Karnataka, chickpea has been planted on about 7.8 lakh hectares (lh) till the third week of October, more than double the acreage of 3.75 lh in corresponding last year, official sources said. The State is targeting an acreage of 13.51 lh under chickpea for the current rabi season.

The recent spell of rains in the parched areas of Northern Karnataka, that witnessed deficient monsoon this year resulting in kharif crop failures, has prompted the farmers to go in for early rabi plantings.

While the rush to plant chickpea has resulted in reported shortage of seeds triggering some sporadic protests by the farmers, officials maintained that enough seeds are being made available to the growers.

Chickpea is sown during October-November and harvested from February onwards.

The Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore, in a recent market advisory, has advised farmers to take up sowing of the chickpea considering that the farm gate prices were likely to hover around ₹4,500-4,700/quintal during February-March. At present, chickpea is sold at ₹5,000-5,500.

The retail prices of pulses such as tur dal (arhar), urad, moong and even chickpea have skyrocketed in recent months on tight domestic supplies with poor monsoon impacting the kharif acreages triggering imports. Chana output during 2014-15 stood at 7.17 million tonnes (mt) – down from previous year’s 9.53 mt.

The Agriculture ministry is targeting chana production of 9.5 mt for the 2015-16 season.

Chana stocks from the last season are entering the market and supply from stock will continue till December end.

Quoting trade sources, TNAU said that chana prices were likely to remain firm during February-March as the expected imports will land in November-December followed by local arrivals.