Farmers are likely to switch over planting more area under wheat in central India from chickpea (chana) as prices of the pulses crop have largely remained below the minimum support price (MSP) levels of ₹5,230 per quintal this year.

Currently, the modal price (the rate at which most trades take place) of chana is hovering between ₹4,000 and ₹4,500 per quintal across various mandis in Madhya Pradesh, the largest producer of the gram. Mandi prices are ruling in a similar range in Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

For the rabi marketing season of 2023-24, the Government has increased the MSP for chana by two per cent to ₹5,355. The planting of chana has already begun and about one lakh hectares have been covered under the pulses crop till October 14, mainly in Rajasthan.

Discouraging price trend

“Chana acreage could get impacted in the upcoming rabi season as farmers didn’t get good prices this year. Last year prices were good so the acreage increased. This year, chana may get replaced with wheat in several areas,” said Indrajit Paul, Senior Manager, Commodity Research at Origo Commodities India Pvt Ltd.

In the last rabi season, the coverage was 114.95 lakh hectares (lh), an increase of 4 per cent over 110 lh in 2020.

“Farmers will not be inclined towards sowing chana this year as prices were not encouraging,” said Punit Bachawat, a miller in Ahmedabad. However, conditions are good for sowing chana, while rains in some parts of the country including Maharashtra may delay the sowing, he said.

Chana production touched a record high of 137.5 lakh tonnes (lt) during 2021-22 as per the fourth advance estimates. As of June 30, 2022, over 25.5 lt of chana was procured by Government agencies, a four-fold increase from over 6.31 lakh tonnes the previous year. For the upcoming rabi season, the Government has set a production target of 135 lakh tonnes for the current rabi season.

Chana stocks

“In Central India, wheat sowing will increase and chana will decrease,” said Rahul Chauhan of IGrain India.

Suresh Agarwal, President, All India Dal Mills Association, said there could some diversion of around 10-15 per cent from chana to other crops like wheat and masur, but it is too early to comment. Farmers may reduce the chana area and replace it with wheat or masur, Agarwal said.

Agarwal said the chana stocks with the Government are over 20 lakh tonnes and could weigh on the prices in the months ahead. However, prices of chana have firmed up by ₹3-4 per kg in the past month on festival demand.

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