Published On : Thu, Oct 29th, 2015

Cheaper Dal from Mill owners could be their way of avoiding losses

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Nagpur: We know from the story of the War of Troy that one must never look a Gift horse in the eye! That gift very rapidly left to the downfall of the invincible Trojans.

We have been very happy, and also grateful that Mill owners have “reduced” prices of Tur Dal and Chana dal as a Diwali gift for Nagpur citizens… this news was splashed everywhere, including this paper.

It raises many questions that Mill owners may not like to reply to.

Why did rates go up so much in the first place if it was in their control to maintain pricing? And why suddenly announce rational prices NOW? What has changed? The answer lies in three points.

As public pressure over dal prices mounted Maharashtra Government and local administration had to act and had to be seen to act. So stockists were raided and large quantities of dal seized. If the raids would have continued they would have really been in deeper trouble so this was their way of saving their skins – by voluntarily going in for price ‘cuts’.

Government has imported large quantities of dal and once this comes into the market, prices would automatically take a beating.

Fresh harvests of dal are expected to begin coming into the market from the last week of November. That is when the early crop is harvested – regular peak crops will come in during December and continue till January and February. Tur and Chana crops are healthy and knowing how prices can peak farmers have also become wiser and will sell at higher prices. If last year, the prices they got ranged from Rs. 4000 to 5000 a quintal, this year it can go upto Rs. 8000/ But on the other hand, if Traders and Mill owners decrease the price in the retail market, there will be pressure on farmers to not expect too much inflation in their procurement rates. Farmers have to repay so much borrowed money after each crop’s harvest that they cannot hold on to the produce too long – they have to sell. They are exploited for this very reason.

We would like to give a tip to our readers while on the subject of dal. Our survey and information tells us that though Tur and Chana will be available in plenty soon, Urad dal and Moong may be scarce. These crops were damaged due to unseasonal rains and nor are these in the import list.

Urad dal, specially could see a high of Rs. 140 or more. It could be the new Tur….