After burning a hole in the common man?s pocket few months back, prices of pulses are once again inching upwards.
And, if trade and industry sources are to be believed, pulses prices could move up in the coming weeks because of poor supplies and low stocks in the global markets. This could threaten the fragile food inflation, which in the last few weeks had shown signs of moderation.
Retail prices of all major pulses consumed in the country like tur (arhar), moong and urad are showing signs of moving up after a month?s breather.
According to data by the department of consumer affairs, tur dal prices have increased in many cities, including Delhi and Mumbai. The retail prices of tur dal in Delhi have risen to Rs 72 per kg on Tuesday from Rs 66 per kg on April 4, an increase of Rs 6. The price of tur dal was above Rs 90 in January this year.
Similarly, the prices of Moong dal have also shot up to around Rs 85 per kg from Rs 79 per kg a month ago. Prices of chana dal are no different. Chana dal prices have risen to Rs 67 per kg on May 3 from Rs 64 per kg a month back.
With kharif acreage under pulses going down in the country, the situation has been aggravated by the lack of availability of pulses in the global market.
The government, however, has a different view on the rise in prices. A senior industry official on Tuesday said that though pulses prices are on an upward trend, but they will stablise in the coming days.
?It is going up, but very soon, it will stabilise and after the IMD?s prediction of a normal monsoon this year, I don?t think there is any reason for the current increase in prices,? KC Bhartiya, president, Pulses Importers Association of India said. He, however, warned that, ?if southwest monsoons fail for the second consecutive year in India or Myanmar and Mozambique hold their crop, there might be a spike in prices.?
India produces 14 million tonne of pulses annually, against its requirement of 11 million tonne. According to an agriculture ministry data, area under pulses like urad, moong, gram and lentils has increased to 147.42 lakh hectares, compared with 138.68 lakh hectares in the same period last season.
In a recent interview, S Ayyappan, director-general, Indian Council of Agricultural Research said he expects good pulses production during the ongoing rabi harvest season. ?We are expecting good production of pulses. Last year?s production of pulses was 14 million tonne and this year it could rise by 10% because of prolonged winter,? Ayyappan said.