We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry. current time
Better Crop Outlook Pulls Urad Prices Down for Second Straight Week
After climbing steadily for a few weeks, urad (black matpe) prices have begun to soften, driven by brighter crop prospects across central and northern India and subdued buying interest from millers. Sowing figures tell an encouraging story as of July 31, urad acreage stood at 21.08 lakh hectares, up 10% from 19.8 lakh hectares a year earlier, even though the broader pulses basket is still trailing behind last year’s numbers.
The gains are spread unevenly across states. Uttar Pradesh has seen the sharpest jump, with acreage climbing 61% to 5.52 lakh hectares compared to 3.42 lakh hectares last year. Madhya Pradesh followed with a 16% rise to 6.72 lakh hectares, while Rajasthan added 20% to reach 3.75 lakh hectares and Gujarat surged 40% to 0.71 lakh hectares. Smaller states also posted notable gains Jharkhand jumped 72%, Chhattisgarh climbed 21%, and Andhra Pradesh rose 43%. On the flip side, Karnataka’s acreage slipped 25% and Maharashtra saw a steep 50% decline.
This improved sowing outlook has directly translated into softer mandi rates. According to Agriculture Ministry figures, the national average wholesale price of urad eased to ₹8,638 per quintal as of August 3, down from ₹8,908 a week earlier and ₹8,980 two weeks prior. Prices had peaked around three weeks ago at ₹9,132.55 per quintal, a sharp rise from roughly ₹8,233 just a month before that.
Industry body IPGA noted that both domestic and imported urad rates have now fallen for two consecutive weeks through August 1. Several factors are weighing on the market expectations of higher imports, softer rates out of Myanmar, a firmer rupee, healthy kharif sowing following favourable rains, and lacklustre demand for urad dal and gota that’s keeping millers and traders on the sidelines. Steady overseas arrivals at Chennai port through mid-August are adding to the downward pressure, with Myanmar SQ urad currently trading near ₹9,500 per quintal a level that, if breached, could push prices down toward ₹9,350.
Forward contracts for September and October are already trading at a discount, reflecting the cautious mood. Trade sources expect this softness to persist in the near term, with fresh kharif urad arrivals likely to begin from mid-September and pick up pace by month-end, coinciding with incoming shipments from Brazil.
