Toor dal or Arhar dal, a staple in India, is pinching the hole in many pockets after its price shot up to Rs 220 a kg, almost two times than what was being sold till January 2023. A country where dal and rice are considered an everyday wholesome meal, the price hike or drop of either of two affects the budget of many middle-class families.
LocalCircles conducted a survey on the issue, and found that 57% of the 11,197 respondents did not reduce the consumption of the Toor Dal and were paying the actual price. Around 32% of respondents, however, said they are eating less of the Toor Dal while 11% have switched to unbranded/ low quality brands.
Last June, the consumer affairs ministry had told media that India will import 12 lakh tonnes of Toor Dal in the current fiscal, up by 35% from the last year, to increase domestic availability and contain price rise.
According to the first advance estimates of the Ministry of Agriculture for the kharif crops of 2023- 24, production of Toor Dal is estimated at 3.42 million tonnes, which is almost similar to last year’s production. The area under Urad Dal is estimated at 3.07 million hectares, compared with about 3.10 million hectares last year.
“The total annual requirement of tuar dal in India is 45 lakh (4.5 million) metric tonnes as it is consumed in most parts of India,” Bimal Kothari, chairman of the India Pulses & Grains Association, told the media.
The shortfall in supply in India comes amidst boom in the global demand for the Toor Dal, primarily driven by increasing awareness of its health benefits and nutritional content. This growing demand is further bolstered by the incorporation of lentils into various food products such as pasta, bakery items, and meat alternatives, according to Lupa Foods, UK-based full-service B2B partner to the food industry.
With increasing prices, many consumers could probably give up on consuming the Dal, which is the most affordable source of protein in almost every Indian household. The government needs to step in to not only check hoarding but also facilitate procurement from farmers and supply to consumers without the unscrupulous traders making this popular Dal further out of reach.
The survey received over 11,000 responses from citizens located in 306 districts of India. 64% respondents were men while 36% respondents were women.
Comments
0 comment