Lower yield, export mean Basmati gets farmers ₹4k/quintal
five years, aromatic traditional Basmati has retained its lost charm and is fetching over ₹42,00 per quintal in mandis, providing much-needed relief to paddy growers in Karnal region.
As per information from grain markets, traditional Basmati is fetching a price between ₹4,200 and ₹4,400 per quintal; Pusa 1121 (₹3,400-~3,600); Moochal (₹3,200-~3,400). The revival in prices had started in 2017 with prices crossing the ₹3,000 a quintal mark, after four years.
Now, even the high-yielding variety of Pusa 1509 is fetcihng between ₹2,800 and ₹3,100 per quintal. Farmers expect the price to increase, as there has been a decline in yield of 2-5 quintal per acre. They also add that harvesting is at its peak and prices will increase further as exporters were showing keen interest in long-grain varieties.
“We are happy with the surge in prices as it will provide a relief to the farmers, who were reeling under the poor yield this year,” said a farmer Amarnath of Sikri village of Karnal district. Commission agents are also happy. Praveen Kumar, a commission agent at the Nilokheri grain market, said, “We saw such increase in prices after almost five years. In 2013, Basmati prices crossed ₹4,500 per quintal. This year, it may touch ₹5,000 per quintal.”
Exporters claim the spurt in prices was due to advance orders from the Arab countries and they were keen to meet the demand. “Yes, prices of all long-grained Basmati varieties have increased by 25% and it may increase further as there the rice exporters have orders this year,” said Vijay Setia, president, All-India Rice Exporters Association. He added that fall in yield was also causing the price increase. “There is a possibility of 5% fall in rice production in the state,” he added.
Of 13 lakh hectare under paddy, Haryana has around 7 lakh hectares under Basmati varieties. As per figures from the Rice Exporters Association, Haryana and Punjab have 40% share each in total 40 lakh tonne of Basmati export.
KARNAL:After