As tur acreage rises, farmers push for curbs on imports.

As a larger area comes under tur or arhar (red gram) in the ongoing kharif sowing season, growers — in anticipation of a higher output — want the Centre to curb all forms of imports to keep prices stable during the harvest season. The acreage under tur as on August 3 has exceeded the year-ago period’s levels as farmers have brought a larger area in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, among others, under cultivation. While the acreage under tur and moong has seen a rise, the area under all pulses has been trailing the year-ago figure by around four per cent at around 75 lakh hectares. Tur accounts for over half the acreage under pulses. Across major markets in the key producing States of Karnataka and Maharashtra, tur prices are hovering between ?3,500 and ?3,800 a quintal, much lower than the minimum support price (MSP), on ample supplies.