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Gram goes red by the day
The price of red gram in soaring, it has been out of reach of common man touching Rs 180 per kg. This unprecedented price rise is attributed low extent of cultivation and lack of yield during the kharif season.
Srikakulam: The price of red gram in soaring, it has been out of reach of common man touching Rs 180 per kg. This unprecedented price rise is attributed low extent of cultivation and lack of yield during the kharif season.
- Price of red gram doubled from Rs 90 to Rs 180 per kg
- Decrease in area of cultivation coupled with less yield of crop in kharif is said to be the reason for the humongous price rise
Red gram crop is cultivated in 4,000 acres in ten mandals. These include Kotturu, Sitampeta, LN Peta, Hiramandalam, Bhamini, Meliaputti, Mandasa, Pathapatnam, Rajam and Ponduru across the district. However, the crop was only cultivated in 2,000 acres during last kharif season.
Adding to the woes was adverse climatic conditions like less rain fall, which led to fall of yield considerably and as a result price of red gram increased exponentially from Rs 90 per kg to Rs 180 for per kg.
In a bid to cap the price rise, the State government started importing red gram from African countries and mandated to sell the same at Rs 120 per kg. However, this did not bring down the price as the extent of production hasn’t improved in the rabi season, too.
Usually, the crop is cultivated in 2,000 acres in the rabi season but this time around, it was down to 1,000 acres and moreover, it is mostly grown in tribal areas. Even though the production has increased in other districts but the traders are still collecting Rs 180 per kg, much to the chagrin of the common man.
Despite, people crying foul over the humoungous price rise and alleging that government isn’t doing anything to cap it, the government officials are mainting that they have initiated the measures.
Speaking to The Hans India, district supply officer V Subramanyam said that they have opened a counter at Rythu Bazaar in Srikakulam where local variety of red gram is sold at Rs 120 per kg. “We have been receiving complaints that the traders are selling African import in guise of local variety. We will cancel the licences of the traders, if proved so,” he warned.
