The Agriculture Ministry has reported a 5.7% reduction in the area under Urad (Black Matpe) cultivation for the current Kharif season, bringing the total to 3.07 million hectares, down from 3.26 million hectares last year. The most significant decline in acreage occurred in Madhya Pradesh, a leading producer of Urad, where the area cultivated fell by 60% compared to the previous year. Additionally, there has been a reduction in acreage in Rajasthan, although Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have seen increases of 60% and 7%, respectively.

New Kharif Urad is start to arrive in markets across Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. However, traders have raised concerns about the quality of the produce due to excess rainfall, which has affected the crop. As a result, prices in several key regions are falling below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs. 7,400 per 100 kgs. According to Agmarknet, the weighted average price of Urad was reported at Rs. 6,869 per 100 kgs during the weekend.

On Monday, the modal price for Urad was Rs. 7,400 per 100 Kg in Karjat, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, while it dropped to Rs. 5,072 per 100 kg in Bidar, Karnataka. Trade sources indicate that Urad prices have been fluctuating between Rs. 4,150 and Rs. 6,600 per 100 kg in Karnataka’s agri-terminal markets, while in Maharashtra, the prices range from Rs. 6,500 to Rs. 7,700 per 100 kgs. Experts suggest that the decline in prices is primarily due to lower quality rather than an oversupply.

Excessive rainfall in districts such as Yadgiri, Kalaburgi, Bidar, and Vijayapura in Karnataka, along with parts of Maharashtra, affected the Urad crop. As per sources Urad crop could see a decrease of 30 to 40% compared to last year due to the damage caused by excess rain.

(Source: BL)