IANS | 10 Jul, 2024
The prices of Urad have started declining in the domestic market on the
back of a higher procurement of the summer crop by government agencies and the
outlook for the kharif crop has improved with the increase in sown area this
year due to a better monsoon, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said on
Wednesday.
As of July 6, wholesale prices of Urad have witnessed a week-on-week
decline of 3.12 per cent and 1.08 per cent in the Indore and Delhi markets
respectively. In alignment with domestic prices, the landed prices of imported
Urad are also on a declining trend, the ministry said in a statement.
The procurement of summer Urad under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) by
NAFED and NCCF is in progress.
As of 5th July, the area sown for Urad has reached 5.37 lakh hectares,
as compared to 3.67 lakh hectares for the corresponding period last year. The
90-day crop is expected to experience a healthy kharif production this year.
Ahead of the Kharif sowing season, there has been significant momentum
in the pre-registration of farmers through government agencies such as NAFED
and NCCF. These efforts are part of the government's strategy to encourage
farmers to shift towards pulse production during the Kharif season, aiming for
self-sufficiency in this sector.
In Madhya Pradesh alone, a total of 8,487 Urad farmers have already
registered through NCCF and NAFED. Meanwhile, other major producing states such
as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have seen pre-registrations of
2037, 1611 and 1663 farmers respectively, indicating widespread participation
in these initiatives.
These measures underscore the government's commitment to balancing
market dynamics while supporting both, farmers and consumers, the official
statement added.