Dal and chicken cost the same in India. Things won't change before Diwali

‘Ghar ki murgi dal barabar’- the age old adage is getting proved quite literally now. With the price of the lentils skyrocketing each day, ex-mill and wholesale prices of tur dal increased further by about 18% in a week in Maharashtra. The price has absurdly increased from Rs 167/kg for the best variety to Rs 194/kg.

While the government is relying on imports to check the matter just like onions, local traders say this would never going to happen. The shortages are huge, government imports are meagre and local crop will come only in December, keeping tur dal prices exorbitantly high till Diwali.

The desi tur is expensive than the imported African tur by about Rs 20/kg to Rs 30/kg in wholesale. With this, the wholesale prices in Maharashtra have crossed Rs 190/kg, which will translate into retail prices of Rs 200/kg to Rs 220/kg in a few days. In fact, trade sources also think that prices can also touch Rs 250/kg by Diwali if the government intervention is not effective.

The shortage is so high that the mills are running at about just 25% of their capacity. Government has imported about 5,000 tonne dal and another 2000 tonne is on the way, as per a news report by The Economic Times.

The Indian local tur crop will come on by December, while the industry expects the production to fall due to the deficient rains in the growing regions. Though the central government has asked the states to include dals in the essential commodities act, very few states have done so.

(Image: Reuters)