New Delhi: Prices of pulses, which have shot up by over 40 percent in the last one year, is likely to spiral further in 2010 due to a demand and supply mismatch, industry body Assocham said on Tuesday.
"Virtual stagnation in domestic pulses production, consistent rise in population, besides higher prices of pulses in international markets are likely to exert further pressure on pulses prices even in 2010," the chamber said.
Prices of pulses have been rising in the retail market due to demand-supply gap. Tur has gone up to Rs 91 a kg in the capital from Rs 50 in the last one year, while urad has shot up to Rs 77 from Rs 46. Moong dal is being sold at Rs 83, compared to Rs 45 a kg a year earlier.
The domestic pulses production is about 14-15 million tonne, but demand is higher at 18-19 million tonne.
India imports significant quantity of pulses from Canada, Myanmar and Australia. The import was 20 per cent more during the April-October period this year at 1.59 million tonnes to bridge the demand-supply gap.
Assocham also said that as the area under pulses remained almost stagnant over the years, the growing demand with rising population was managed by meagre increase in yield to some extent and through imports.
"Yield of most of the pulses have, however, shown a minuscule growth over the last five decades," it said adding the main reason for this lethargic growth in yield has been absence of development of improved and high yielding variety of seeds in the country.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 14:52