A bumper arrival of moong (green gram) and attractive prices being offered for the crop at the Kotkapura grain market are set to give a significant boost to the cause of crop diversification in the Faridkot region.
The Kotkapura mandi has already recorded an arrival of nearly 4,500 to 5,000 bags (50 kg each) of moong this season, with the crop fetching Rs 8,100 to Rs 8,200 per quintal on Saturday, against a maximum price of Rs 6,100 per quintal last year. Notably, the arrival recorded so far this season already matches the total quantity that came to the mandi during the entire marketing season last year, indicating that this year’s yield and arrivals are likely to comfortably surpass previous records.
“The pace of arrivals this year has been remarkable and going by current trends, the season’s total is expected to far exceed last year’s figures,” said Umesh Garg, President of the Arhtiya Association, Kotkapura.
Unseasonal rains earlier this season had slightly affected the quality of the crop, rendering the grain marginally lighter, but this has done little to dampen market sentiment. Local processing units and traders have been actively procuring the produce, keeping daily trading volumes brisk.
The biggest draw for farmers this season, however, has been the price. Moong is currently fetching around Rs 8,100 per quintal in the open market, a jump of nearly Rs 2,000 per quintal over last year’s average price of Rs 6,100, Garg said.
Interestingly, the MSP fixed by the Centre for moong stands at Rs 6,700 per quintal, however, the crop is trading well above the floor price, owing to strong private and commercial demands.
Even though the government agencies do not actively procure this pulse, brisk private trade — driven by local processing mills as well as buyers from outside the state — has ensured highly profitable returns for growers, said Sanjay Mitta, an arhtiya in Kotkapura.
Traders pointed out that last year, prices had rallied further by Rs 500 to Rs 600 per quintal as the season progressed and a similar trend this year could mean even better returns for farmers in the coming weeks.
The combination of a good yield and strong prices is being seen as a major boost for farmers in a state that has long been trying to wean itself away from the water-guzzling wheat-paddy cycle. Pulses such as moong require significantly less water, enrich the soil with nitrogen and have a much shorter crop cycle compared to paddy, agriculture experts in the area said.
The current profitability of the crop is likely to encourage more farmers to bring larger areas under pulse cultivation in the coming seasons, added the traders.
The market currently has a mix of the early-sown “Saathi” variety (a 60-day duration crop) and the standard moong variety.
While Saathi is trading at a discount of Rs 100 to Rs 150 per quintal compared to the standard variety, overall returns across both remain attractive — a development being seen as a positive sign for Punjab’s crop diversification efforts.