Efforts by cumin producers in border areas to increase the sale of stock

09-May-2025 06:06 PM

Rajkot. Farmers in major cumin-producing states like Gujarat and Rajasthan are attempting to accelerate the sale of their cumin stock due to security threats in areas close to the Pakistan border.

Although India has largely thwarted attacks from Pakistan, the risk has not been completely eliminated. There are concerns about potential attacks in regions like Jaisalmer, Barmer, Kutch and Poonch, prompting authorities to instruct closure of markets and mandis after 5 pm.

Because of this security concern, the average daily arrival of cumin in Gujarat’s Unjha Mandi has dropped to 8,000–10,000 bags, a sharp fall from the record level of 70,000–72,000 bags observed in the last week of March.

Producers are now keen to offload their stock, but the ongoing border tension and threat of drone and missile attacks are creating major hurdles in conducting business.

In Gujarat, the cumin sowing area for the 2024-25 season shrank to 4.77 lakh hectares, a 15 percent decline compared to the previous year. A slight reduction in sowing was also observed in Rajasthan.

The area under cumin cultivation had expanded unexpectedly in 2023-24 after its wholesale prices touched record highs. However, prices later dropped significantly, leading to reduced incentive for farmers to sow cumin in the current season.

There is still time before new cumin consignments arrive from countries like Turkey, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan and China.

In the meantime, foreign buyers are showing strong interest in Indian cumin, which is helping support domestic market prices.

Chinese importers had been waiting for prices to soften before committing to fresh purchases. The new cumin crop was harvested vigorously in March and April, and both producers and stockists are currently holding substantial stocks.