Uncertainty prevails over chana production

Within a span of three weeks, prices of chana or Bengal gram have dropped nearly Rs 150 a quintal. On Thursday, chana was quoted at Rs 2,408 in Indore.

In fact, chana prices had run up between the start of the year and mid-February on fears that the chana crop could have been affected by frost that wreaked damage on crops in various parts of the country.

Even now, there is no clear-cut idea about the crop, though the quality of the arrivals is good.

“The quality of chana arriving in the market now is very good. But with regard to quantity, we will get to know only after 15 days,” said Mr Rahul Vora, a trader in Indore.

“It all depends on the yield that farmers will be able to get on harvest,” he said.

Though damage of frost to the crop has been reported from some areas, Mr Vora said that at the most, it has only delayed the arrivals.

“The harvest has been delayed by a month,” he said.

Farmers disheartened

However, there are signs of disillusionment among farmers with regard to the chana crop.

“You could have heard complains from farmers in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. That is because they grow kabuli chana or chickpea,” said Mr Rajkumar Jher, a trader at Ujjain.

“Chickpea has been unable to withstand frost, whereas the desi chana (Bengal gram) has been able to overcome the extreme cold condition that was prevalent in December,” Mr Jher said.

“Today (Thursday), we received 7,000 bags (100 kg each) of chickpea at the Indore mandi. The quality of the arrivals was good,” said Mr Vora.

Traders say that during the same period a year ago, arrivals were 14,000-16,000 bags but they should not be compared because of the delay in harvest.

Mr Daud Patel of Dhonk Khurd village in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district said that he had sown chana on 25 acres and the entire crop has been damaged by frost.

“Even our crop has been affected by frost,” said Mr Sunil Mukhati of Dewas.

Madhya Pradesh holds the key to a good chana crop in the country as it makes up 36 per cent of the total area under the crop and 40 per cent of the total production in the country. The second advance estimate for 2010-11 agriculture season ending June has projected the crop at 7.37 million tonnes (mt) against a record 7.48 mt last season.

“Area under the crop has been lower this year in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka,” said Mr Vora.

In Gujarat, farmers switched over to chana from jeera this year.

Chana prices are seen firm in the short-term on festival demand. But Kabuli chana could come under pressure due to lack of export orders and unrest in the Gulf.

“There were no buyers for Kabuli chana at the Gulf Food fair that ended on Wednesday. Besides political problems in the Gulf, prices are also higher at$1,200 a tonne,” said Mr Vora.

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