Even this year, the traders seem to be quite chary in doing the business. With the start of the market arrivals of the new crop, the position is getting grimmer as the lifting of the stocks has not been picking up.

The arrivals of the new crop (of coriander) have now reached a level of about 50,000 bags a day in Rajasthan, the largest producer of (coriander) in the country.

In the Ramganjmandi alone, which is the largest in the country, the daily arrivals have touched the level of 25,000 bags.

Traders expect a fall in the production of coriander this year as against the last year's peak of 2.76 lakh tonnes. In fact last year's production was about 67 per cent more compared to that of the year earlier.

The total area covered by coriander last year had risen to 2.32 lakh hectares as against 1.54 lakh hectares in the previous year.

In the case of Rajasthan the farmers have an advantageof a higher yield of about 10.6 quintals per hectare as against the national average of about 5 quintals per hectare. The higher yield is largely due to the excellent climatic conditions that support the cultivation of coriander. It is mostly grown in Kotah, Baran and Jhalawar regions. In fact Rajasthan produces about 60 per cent of the country's total coriander output.Last year the government had even given price support to coriander for the first time and this year too the same policy is likely to be followed looking to the emerging market scenario. Last year 10,884 bags of coriander were procured by the government authorities at the support price. The country also exported 20,100 tonnes of coriander last year as against 12,574 tonnes in the previous year. By the end of December last year the total exports had touched the level of 16,500 tonnes. The price fetched in the export market last year was Rs 27.07 per kg. Steps have been taken by the Agriculture Department to have savings in the cost of production.Last year the cost was Rs 1060 per quintal - the per hectare cost came to about Rs 10,600.

Talking about the price trend, Nirmal Patni, a leading coriander trader of Ramganjmandi, said that the prevailing prices were at last year's level. The price variation was from Rs 950 per quintal to Rs 2500 per quintal depending on the quality.

The badami variety fetched only about Rs 1000 per quintal. On the contrary the coloured variety fetched a higher price.

The good feature of the sowing pattern this year, said Patni, was that the coloured variety had covered large areas as against the previous year. This was due to the good weather conditions that prevailed during the sowing time.

About the overall production in Rajasthan Patni was not sure in his estimate. On the contrary the agriculture department is hopeful that the crop would turn out to be good. However, there is a possibility of the production falling compared to last year. Since the production was price-driven the producers had not covered much ofthe area.

During the years 1996-97 and 1997-98 the coriander price remained at about Rs 2300 per quintal but in the following year it fell to around Rs 1600 per quintal. In June last year it even fell to Rs 1050 per quintal as against Rs 1600 per quintal in April.