Stories
Dal Prices Soar Ahead of Diwali: Why Your Festive Meals Are Getting Costlier
- •Prices of major pulses like chana, tur, moong, and matar have risen sharply, with wholesale rates climbing up to 11% in the past month.
- •Chana prices are up 11% in a month and 23% year-on-year, while matar is 47% higher than a year ago.
- •Rising prices are attributed to increased festive demand, concerns over crop output due to rainfall shortages and soil moisture, and a challenging outlook for the next rabi crop.
- •Import availability is also a factor, with Australia's chana crop expected to be 40-50% lower and international yellow pea prices increasing.
- •Despite government buffer stocks and strong domestic production estimates, prices are rising due to market expectations of tighter future supplies and El Nino concerns for the upcoming rabi season.
Key Questions Answered
Wholesale and retail pulse prices are climbing due to a combination of seasonal festive demand, concerns over crop output, rainfall shortages, soil moisture stress for the upcoming rabi crop, and tighter import availability from major producing countries.
The Agriculture Secretary warned that the El Nino weather pattern and uneven rainfall could create a challenging rabi season in rainfed areas. Specifically, moisture stress and rainfall deficits in key states like Maharashtra and Karnataka have raised serious concerns about tur and chana yields.
Yes, India recorded a record pulse production of 274.09 lakh tonnes in 2025-26, and government-held stocks stand at around 4.5 million tonnes, which is safely above the 3.5 million tonne buffer norm. However, market prices are currently rising because traders are factoring in potential supply tightness for the upcoming crop.
