Red gram is trading at prices 17.64 per cent lower than the minimum support price fixed by the Central/State Governments at Rs 3,400 in the north Karnataka markets.

According to the price forecast for red gram by the Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell (Demic), set up at the Department of Agri-business Management, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, “Red gram will be around Rs 3,400 to 3,700 per quintal from February to March months in Gulbarga, Sedam and Humnabad markets.”

Giving reason for the sudden dip in prices, Demic has advised farmers to sell red gram immediately on harvest, because storage is not expected to fetch any higher price. “Storage of the crop is not going to improve the price as late sown crop in other regions will start pouring in,” it further added.

In addition to the Central Government's support price, the StateGovernment has also come forward to procure red gram through its agencies by offering Rs 4,000 a quintal. Red gram is grown in north Karnataka districts like Gulbarga, Yadgir, Bijapur, Bidar, Raichur and Bagalkot.

According to a senior university official, the area under red gram has increased to 8.46 lakh hectares this kharif season as against 5.43 lakh hectares last year. Hence a bumper crop is in the offing.

The targeted area in this kharif season was 6.76 lakh hectares. Red gram covers 50 per cent of the area under pulses. After several years, the area under pulses has crossed the target.

Farmers in north Karnataka had lost the crop last year (2009-10) because of delayed monsoon, and later excessive rain in September. The launch of the Accelerated Pulses Production Programme in six districts under the aegis of the National Food Security Mission, a Central Government-sponsored scheme, has contributed to increased acreage. To make the mission a success, free kits containing micro nutrients, plant protection chemicals, etc., were distributed to small farmers.

comment COMMENT NOW