Price Analysis From TNAU
Coriander, ‘cumbu’, Bengal gram, sunflower, gingelly, groundnut and maize are some of the crops preferred for sowing by farmers during the Karthigai pattam. The Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has made a price analysis of some of these crops to facilitate cropping pattern decisions for the season. Bengal gram is cultivated to a large extent in Coimbatore, followed by Dindigul district.
Good rain and better prices are expected to increase the area under Bengal gram in the forthcoming sowing season. The DEMIC has forecast the price of Bengal gram in February-March 2009 to be between Rs. 2,700 and Rs. 2,900 a quintal. Coriander is one of the important spice crops used in all curry powders. The price of coriander has been pegged at Rs. 6,500 to 7,200 a quintal during February-March 2009. The price last year during harvest was Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 4,000 a quintal. ‘Cumbu’ that is raised in 98,000 hectares in Tamil Nadu with a production of 1.24 lakh tonnes is estimated to fetch a high price during February-March 2009. It is anticipated to fetch a farm gate price of Rs. 600 to Rs. 650 a quintal during this period.
Though the consumption of palm and sunflower oil has increased over the years, the April-May 2008 crop was hit due to heavy rains. The low yield was also a result of disease and poor quality seeds. DEMIC has forecast the price of sunflower seed to range from Rs. 28 to Rs. 30 a kg in January 2009. Import tariff on vegetable oils will have a direct effect on the price of sunflower seeds. The team of N. Raveendaran, S. Anita. P. Padmavathy, D. Murugananthi and D. Sriakila of the DEMIC has made the predictions and has asked farmers to decide their cropping pattern based on the ruling and forecast price.
