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Archit Watts
Tribune News Service
Muktsar, November 13
Basmati growers are a dejected lot as its price this year has remained Rs 500-600 per quintal lesser than that in the corresponding period last year. Further, the per-acre yield is also lesser this time due to the change in climate.
Currently, the price ranges from Rs 2,400-2,600 per quintal, which was nearly Rs 3,300 per quintal at the same time last year.
Some basmati growers said those who had sown normal variety of the paddy crop would make more money. “There is no minimum support price (MSP) for basmati whereas the normal paddy crop is sold above the MSP. Last year, the prices had remained good thus the area under basmati crop increased this season but the demand has remained almost the same. The price of basmati depends on the demand from foreign countries,” said a basmati grower.
Ashish Kathuria, general secretary, Punjab Basmati Rice Millers’ Association, said, “This year, the production of basmati in our country is expected to touch 75 lakh tonne but the market remains the same, having a demand of nearly 60 lakh tonne. Therefore, traders from the main basmati-buying countries are negotiating the price. Last year, 43 lakh tonne basmati was exported and 16 lakh tonne was consumed by the domestic market. The prevailing price is nearly Rs 600 lesser than that last year. The situation is similar in all states.”
He said, “Further, industrialists are not taking any risk after 2014. They are not maintaining huge stocks. Even banks are not providing huge funds. Nearly 20 per cent of the crop has arrived in the market and the trend shows that the prices will not go up. Farmers will get some respite only if the government makes a policy in this regard.”
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