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Informist, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026

 

By Shreya Shetty

 

MUMBAI – Prices of tur, or pigeon pea, have been on a steep upward trend for a few days as production of the 2025-26 (Jul-Jun) tur crop is seen falling short of expectations in terms of both quality and quantity, analysts and traders said. A slowdown in imports and the government's procurement is also driving prices of the legume higher, they said. Tur prices are likely to rise further, with some market participants expecting them to touch the INR 9,000 per 100 kilogram mark in the near term.

 

On Tuesday, prices of tur in Akola, Maharashtra, were INR 6,700-INR 8,400 per 100 kg, while prices in Katni, Madhya Pradesh, were INR 8,200-INR 8,300 per 100 kg. 

 

Supply of the new crop from Karnataka, one of the top producers of tur in India, have been lower-than-expected so far, market participants said. Excessive rainfall during September and October led to crop damage and loss. While a fall in output from Karnataka was expected, the market was caught off-guard by the crop damage in Maharashtra, another top producer of tur in the country.

 

Prices surged last week amid reports of a fall in output in Vidarbha, one of the key tur-producing regions in Maharashtra. "The market was expecting an excellent crop from Vidarbha, but now we know that around 20% of the crop could be damaged due to low temperatures and fog," said Ankit Kedia, a trader from Akola.

 

The interior of Maharashtra, which includes Vidarbha and Marathwada, has been experiencing below-normal temperatures consistently during the nighttime in the ongoing Winter Season, Kedia said.

 

Sustained temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius can delay crop development, resulting in lower yields. Fog inhibits proper bud formation and flowering of the plant as it does not receive adequate sunlight. "We will get to know about the full extent of loss once arrivals from the region begin in full swing in the first week of February," said a trader from Solapur, Maharashtra.

 

Quality, too, could be a hurdle. "While you may have production, there are challenges in the quality. Quantity is there, but quality is low," said G. Chandrashekhar, policy commentator and commodity markets expert. "The fair average quality tur is ruling the prices right now. Due to the low availability of fair-value quality tur, prices are rising."

 

"In India, tur production is estimated to be around 20% lower this year," said Rahul Chauhan, president, IGrain. According to the first advance estimates, tur production in 2025-26 (Jul-Jun) is pegged at nearly 3.6 million tonnes, slightly down from 3.62 million tonnes produced a year ago.

 

A slowdown in imports of the legume is also supporting prices, market participants said. Imports of tur from Myanmar, one of the top exporters of tur to India, have declined amid low availability of older stocks. Currently, Myanmar is preparing for the harvest of the new crop, which is reportedly lower than last year. This is also likely to support domestic tur prices in the near term, they said.

 

"In Myanmar, weather conditions have been unfavourable this year, with production estimated at around 300,000 tonnes and carry-forward stocks of about 50,000 tonnes," Chauhan said. Panellists at the South Asia Agri Forum Summit 2026, which took place in Myanmar last week, expect the country's output 15–20% lower this year, he said.

 

Tur output from African countries, which are also among the top exporters of tur to India, is also expected to be lower, Chauhan said. "In Africa, tur production was earlier estimated at 1.3 million tonnes, but the actual output came in at 900,000 tonnes, creating a significant gap between expectations and supply," he said.

 

Despite lower production in top tur-exporting countries, the government may extend the duty-free import policy of the legume post Mar. 31 deadline, market participants said. This, according to Chandrashekhar, is also driving prices of the legume upwards. "Traders are sending out a signal to the government to continue this policy. They are sending a message that there is a shortage of tur in the country," he said. However, the expert believes that the government has been planning to extend the policy anyway, regardless of the prevailing tur prices.  

 

Between January and November, India imported 1.05 million tonnes of tur, down from 1.14 million tonnes a year ago, according to data from the commerce ministry.

 

Prices of tur are also rising as some state governments have approved and begun procurement of the legume at the minimum support price of INR 8,000 per 100 kg, market participants said.  

 

The government had approved the procurement of 967,000 tonnes tur in Karnataka in December and the purchases have already begun in the state. Meanwhile, the government has sanctioned the purchase of 337,000 tonnes of tur in Maharashtra and 171,000 tonnes in Telangana, which are yet to commence. However, in some places, market prices are already above the minimum support price.

 

"Farmers do not want to sell their new crops below the INR 8,000 per 100 kg mark, that's also why prices are surging," said Devendra Vora, a wholesale trader from Vashi, Navi Mumbai.

 

With expectation of lower production in both India and key origins, rising government procurement, and dwindling stocks with traders, prices are expected to increase further in the short term, with some market participants seeing them surge to INR 9,000 per 100 kg. "Prices may touch the INR 9,000 per 100 kg mark before the end of February. However, prices are likely to correct shortly after reaching that mark," Chauhan said.

 

Some market participants disagree. "I don't know whether prices will hit the INR 9,000 per 100 kg mark, I can't answer that question, it is a tricky question," Chandrashekhar said.

 

"Prices are likely to rise by another INR 200-INR 500 per 100 kg in the near term. But I cannot say whether they will hit the INR 9,000 per 100 kg mark," Vora said.  End

 

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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