The Agro Market Intelligence and Business Promotion Centre (AMI&BPC) of the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business has indicated that the price of pearl millet would rule around Rs.1,400 to 1,500 a quintal during harvest in February/ March.
In a price advisory, the centre said ‘Karthigai pattam’ is an important cropping season for farmers in rainfed areas in the State. North East monsoon coincides with the ‘Karthigai pattam’ and the rainfall followed by winter season is suitable for crops such as Bengal gram, coriander and pearl millet. To help farmers take proper pre-sowing decision, the back office of the AMI&BPC in the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies (CARDS), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, provides price forecast for the crops.
In Tamil Nadu, pearl millet is cultivated mainly in October-November based on the rainfall. In 2011-12, the crop was grown on an area of about 0.46 lakh hectares with a production of 1.14 lakh tonnes.
The price of coriander during harvest, between February and March, will rule around Rs.11,600 per quintal, the AMI & BPC said. The sowing period is from October to December and harvesting extends from January to April. The current price of coriander in Virudhunagar market is around Rs.11,500 a quintal.
The AMI&BPC advises farmers to take up Bengal gram sowing to get remunerative price during the harvest in February/March when it is expected to fetch Rs. 4,350 to 4,500 a quintal. India is the largest producer and consumer of Bengal gram in the world.
Production is expected to drop by about 5.9 per cent to 9.3 million tonnes during the current year.
In Tamil Nadu, Bengal gram is sown only in ‘Karthigai pattam’ and it was cultivated on 9,800 hectares with a production of nearly 5,800 tonnes during 2012-13.
