Tuar Prices May Improve After Slowdown

10-Jun-2025 01:46 PM

Mumbai. Although the sowing season for Arhar (tur), the most important pulse of the Kharif season, has begun, farmers remain uncertain due to weak market conditions.

Tur, which once sold above Rs 10,000 per quintal, has now declined to around Rs 7,000 per quintal. To encourage farmers to expand cultivation and boost production, the Central Government has increased the minimum support price (MSP) of tur by Rs 450 to Rs 8,000 per quintal for the 2024–25 season and has also committed to procuring 100 percent of the surplus quantity from farmers at this price.

The Union Agriculture Ministry has estimated tur production to reach 35.60 lakh tonnes in the 2024–25 Kharif season, while industry and trade estimates suggest production could be 37–38 lakh tonnes. Due to mandi prices falling below the MSP,

government procurement rose to around 6 lakh tonnes in the 2024–25 marketing season—second only to the record 8.87 lakh tonnes purchased in 2017–18. This government stock can be released into the market as needed.

A sharp decline in domestic production over the past two years had pushed tur prices above Rs 10,000 per quintal last year, but with prices now below the MSP, farmers have suffered considerable losses.

Myanmar's tur production is expected to rise from 3 lakh tonnes last year to 3.50 lakh tonnes this year. In 2024 (January–December), Myanmar exported 3.13 lakh tonnes of tur, nearly all of which was sent to India.

From January to May 2025, Myanmar exported 1.53 lakh tonnes, slightly less than the 1.62 lakh tonnes exported in the same period last year. Production in Africa is projected to increase from 8 lakh tonnes to 9–10 lakh tonnes.

India’s total tur imports during the 2024–25 financial year (April–March) rose to a record 12.23 lakh tonnes, up 4.52 lakh tonnes from 2023–24.