Prices of chana are likely to remain weak in the short term due to low demand and estimates of higher production in Australia, the India Pulses and Grains Association said in its weekly report. In the long term, Australia’s chana exports could overlap with arrivals of the domestic rabi chana, keeping market sentiment cautious, the association said. Australia’s chana output is estimated at 1.9 million tonnes in 2024-25 (Apr-Mar), up 284% on year from 491,000 tonnes produced last year, according to the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Australia is one of the biggest exporters of chana to India, with exports rising sharply to 109,622 tonnes in October from 25,692 tonnes in September. Market participants will closely watch whether the government will extend the duty-free import of yellow peas after Dec. 31, the report said. Yellow peas are used as a cheaper alternative to chana. The market will also watch how domestic demand and imports will impact price trends in the coming week. Prices of chana fell in the week ended Saturday due to higher production estimates in Australia, cheaper imports, and lower cost and freight prices of shipments, the report said.
Prices were also weighed down due to muted demand from millers and weak sales of processed chana despite the ongoing wedding season. The consumption demand for chana dal has also been affected by the record imports of yellow peas, the association said. The country imported more than 1 million tonnes of yellow peas in the April-September period, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. In the week ended Saturday, chana prices in Indore in Madhya Pradesh declined INR 100 from a week ago to INR 6,650-6,700 per 100 kg, according to the report. Prices of chana in Akola in Maharashtra fell by INR 25 to INR 6,800-6,825 per 100 kg.