Poor Prices Limit Bengal Gram Stocks To Warehouses
A quintal sold for nearly ₹10,000 last year. Prices had been ₹6,000–₹6,700 in the initial months of this season. Now, rates have declined further: Report
KURNOOL: Bengal gram growers in Kurnool and Nandyal districts are facing severe losses this season, as prices for their produce have plunged well below expected levels. Despite cultivating nearly 2.4 lakh acres of Bengal gram across the region, farmers say their hard work and investments are not yielding returns.
Compared to last year, when a quintal sold for close to ₹10,000, prices have sharply declined. In the initial months of the season, the JG-11 variety fetched around ₹6,000 per quintal and the Kabuli chana about ₹6,700 per quintal. Now, the rates have fallen further, hovering at ₹5,900 – ₹6,400, leaving farmers financially strained.
Many farmers have pinned their hopes on prices recovering. They have moved their harvest into warehouses. However, due to the prolonged slump, some farmers have resorted to distress sales to manage their mounting debts. Others are continuing to pay ₹7 per quintal monthly rent, hoping the market will improve.
In Kurnool district, Bengal gram had been planted on 1.15 lakh acres, while in Nandyal it covered 1.28 lakh acres. While favourable rains initially supported crop growth, adverse weather during the flowering stage and a cyclone in December last caused severe damage, reducing yields and increasing pest infestations.
A farmer from Nandyal told Deccan Chronicle that he spent up to ₹24,000 per acre. But the yield fell to just five quintals per acre due to pest attacks. “I have shifted the harvest to a warehouse hoping for better prices. I’ve been paying rent at the warehouse. But the price has not improved,” he stated.
Farmers are urging the state government to step in with market support mechanisms and prevent further hardship. Many say that unless Bengal gram prices rise to at least `7,500– `8,000 per quintal, their survival is at stake.