Sell black and green gram upon harvest: TNAU to farmers

Coimbatore, Mar 19. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has advised farmers cultivating black gram and green gram to sell their crop on harvest without going in for storage, saying there is virtually no possibility of price increase till end of May. An analysis by TNAU's Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) on prices prevailing in Villupuram Regulated market in the State suggested that black gram and green gram would rule at Rs 52-53 and Rs 62-64 per kg respectively in April. There are no chances for price increase upto end of May and so farmers should sell the crop without going for storage, it said, adding the wholesale price attained its maximum of Rs 55 for black gram and Rs 66 for green gram per kg in February last. The cell attributed the current rise in the price to lower production. Quoting the union agriculture ministry, the cell said pulses production in the country stood at 18.45 million tonnes in 2012-13 and is expected to touch 19.7 million tonnes in 2013-14.