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.
Chana increases at delhi mandi.
Good buying emerged in chana prices due to limited supplies. The spot prices were trading in the range of Rs 4350-4400 per quintal with total arrivals of 20 motors. As per latest data compiled by Ministry of Agriculture, the pulses area lagged by 3.90% to stand at 115 lakh hectares.
Ukraine wheat exports up.
Ukraine has exported 3.4 million tonnes of grain since the start of the 2018/19 season on July 1, down from 3.5 mln tonnes last year.
Russia resumes wheat supplies to Brazil.
Grain export in 2018-2019 agricultural year is expected at the level of 44-45 mln tonnes. Russia has started supplying wheat to Brazil for the first time in eight years. The first lot of Russian wheat amounting to 26.2 thousand tonnes was shipped to Brazil from the Kaliningrad Region for the first time in eight years.
Britannia, ITC to hike product prices on account of rising wheat price.
Sharp short-term rise in wheat prices is burdening manufacturers of products like atta and biscuits, who, in turn, pass on the increased cost to the customer. Britannia is considering price hike while ITC, another big procurer of wheat, is also mulling similar move in Aashirvaad Atta and its variants. Smaller manufacturers of wheat and other products like bread etc may also be forced to pass on the increased burden. The prices rose due to lower acreage and crop damage in some areas. Also, the government procurement has been higher than estimated.
Pakistan cultivated hybrid rice over 800,000 hectares of land across the country.
In order to boost the local output of rice production, Pakistan has cultivated the hybrid rice over 800,000 hectares of land across the country. Pakistan is focusing more on agriculture to fetch foreign exchanges via exports and rice is one of the popular options to do that, the hybrid rice cultivation will give boost to local production as well as the income of small-scale and medium landholders, the area cultivated for hybrid rice is increasing gradually and it will replace the traditional seed cultivation.
Thailand raises 2018 rice export forecast to 11 mln T.
Thailand expects to export 11 million tonnes of rice worth $5.6 billion in 2018, higher than an initial forecast. Thailand, the world’s second-largest rice exporter after India, initially expected to export 9.5 million tonnes of rice this year. The association cited growing demand from importing countries, including Indonesia and the Philippines, and a weaker baht making Thai rice more competitive, as factors for the expected higher export amount. Thailand exported a record 11.63 million tonnes in 2017.
Tur prices flat in Akola even as arrivals rise.
Prices of tur in Akola, the benchmark market for the commodity, were flat despite a rise in arrivals. Arrivals rose due to anticipation of demand in the coming days as well as the fact that farmers need extra cash for sowing. In Akola, tur was quoted as 3,700-3,750 rupees per 100 kg. In Kalaburagi, a key market for the commodity, prices were unchanged at 3,700-3,925 rupees per 100 kg and arrivals were steady at 2,000 bags.
Onion prices down in Lasalgaon on quality concerns.
Prices of onion fell in the key market of Lasalgaon, Maharashtra, as quality concerns restricted demand from domestic stockists. In Lasalgaon, onion was sold at 850-1,037 rupees per 100 kg, down 100 rupees. Arrivals in Lasalgaon were unchanged at 1,100-1,200 trucks, each carrying 1.5-2.0 tn of onion. In Pimpalgaon, another key market, prices were at 900-1,200 rupees per 100 kg, down 50 rupees. Arrivals were steady at 900-1,250 trucks.
Moong acreage up 2.5% on year at 2.98 mln ha.
Indias moong acreage was at 2.98 mln ha, up 2.5% on year, led by a rise in the area in Rajasthan. In Rajasthan, the largest grower, the area under the crop jumped 11.9% on year to 1.68 mln ha. Initial rainfall in the state has been good, which has boosted sowing. The state has recorded normal rainfall during Jun 1- Aug 5. However, the acreage was down in some states as farmers have sown more paddy, cotton and soybean.
India Apr-Jun pulses jump 115 % on year 100,982 tn.
The government removed export curbs on pulses in November after the domestic production rose. Indias export of pulses have jumped 115.3% on year to 100,982 tn in Apr-Jun, while exports of other cereals also surged 180.1% to 431,562 tn during the same period. However, basmati rise export fell 7% on year to 1.17 mln tn, while non-basmati rice exports rose to nearly 2 mln tn, up 12.6% on year. Indias export of basmati took a hit after the European Union, a major importer, had reduced the permissible limit of tricyclazole residue in imported rice to 0.01 part per mln from 1 part per mln allowed, effective Jan 1.
India Apr-Jun basmati rice exports fall 7%, pulses surge.
Indias export of pulses have jumped 115.3% on year to 100,982 tn in Apr-Jun, while exports of other cereals also surged 180.1% to 431,562 tn during the same period. However, basmati rise export fell 7% on year to 1.17 mln tn, while non-basmati rice exports rose to nearly 2 mln tn, up 12.6% on year. Indias export of basmati took a hit after the European Union, a major importer, had reduced the permissible limit of tricyclazole residue in imported rice to 0.01 part per mln from 1 part per mln allowed, effective Jan 1.
Kharif paddy area dn 4.2% on yr at 26.3 mln ha.
The area under the paddy crop across the country this kharif season was at 26.27 mln ha as of Thursday, down 4.2% on year. The area under paddy was also below the average of 26.93 mln ha for the period. Though paddy sowing in the country was lower on year, the lag in acreage has reduced from over 12% a week ago. The fall in acreage can be attributed to lower sowing in top producers Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Weak monsoon rains in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh also contributed to the fall in acreage.
Urad acreage down 11% on year as farmers shift to paddy.
Farmers in the country sowed kharif urad across 3.25 mln ha down 11.3% on year. In Madhya Pradesh, the largest grower, area under urad was down 10.4% on year at 1.46 mln ha as farmers have shifted to paddy.
Maharashtra Markfed to sell 27,584 tn tur.
Maharashtra State Co-operative Marketing Federation has offered to sell 27,584 tn of tur through NCDEX e-Markets. The tur to be auctioned is stocked at godowns of Maharashtra State Warehousing Corp in Akola, Jalgaon, Parbhani and Buldhana.
India mustard crushing down 18% on year at 450,000 tn in July.
Mustard oil mills across the country crushed 450,000 tn of the oilseed in July, down 18.2% from a year ago. Crushing was also down 30.8% from 650,000 tn in June. Crushing was lower because mustard arrivals started dwindling in key wholesale markets with start of the lean season.
India soybean area up 11% on yr at 11 mln ha.
The area under soybean across the country was at around 11 mln ha. Sowing of the oilseed is underway in many states and in a week, the acreage may exceed the normal for the season–11.3 mln ha, based on the average for the past five years. Higher sowing in key growing areas of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, the top growers, due to normal rains had pulled up the overall area under the crop in the country. In Madhya Pradesh, soybean acreage increased 13% on year to 5.3 mln ha, as planting gained pace due to attractive prices in spot markets.
USDA arm pegs Pakistan 2018-19 soybean imports at record 2.5 mln tn.
The Foreign Agricultural Services of the US Department of Agriculture has projected Pakistans soybean imports at a record 2.5 mln tn in 2018-19 (Oct-Sep), compared with 2.0 mln tn produced last year. Soybean imports surged due to lower import duty on oilseed and increased duty on soymeal. Soymeal is made by crushing soybean and is used as a poultry feed. Improved demand for soymeal from poultry industry and rising consumption of protein-rich food also boosted demand for the oilseed from domestic crushing plants.
Karnataka issues recovery certificates against 15 sugar mills.
The Karnataka government has issued recovery certificates against 15 sugar mills in the state for non-payment of cane dues to farmers. Going forward, the state government is likely to slap recovery certificates on more sugar mills. It may also seize stocks of factories, which do not pay cane dues. Some new notices will be issued in a day or two. As of Jul 18, mills across Karnataka owed 10.46 bln rupees to sugarcane farmers for the 2017-18 (Oct-Sep) season. Sugar mills have to make payments to farmers within 14 days of cane purchases, failing which the amount is counted as arrears. Karnataka is the third-largest producer of sugar in the country and is estimated to produce around 3.7 mln tn of the sweetener in the ongoing season.
Kharif maize area up 1.6% on yr at 7.3 mln ha.
Indias maize acreage was 1.6% higher at 7.3 mln ha as of Thursday from the year-ago period. Acreage in the country was also 1.4% higher as compared with the normal area of 7.14 mln ha, which is based on the average of the past five years. Higher planting in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan has offset the decline in other key growing states of Maharashtra, Bihar and Telangana. Announcement of higher minimum support price for maize by the government in July also encouraged farmers to bring more area under the crop. The Centre hiked the minimum support price for maize to 1,700 rupees per 100 kg for kharif marketing year (Oct-Sep) from 1,425 rupees in the previous year. Acreage was still down in some states because of subdued monsoon rains. India received 457.3 mm of rainfall during Jun-Jul, 10% below the normal weighted average of 508.5 mm for the period.