Within a fortnight, prices shoot up by 25 per cent from the earlier Rs. 150 to the present Rs. 175 to Rs. 180

ere’s some news that is hard to digest. The prices of toor dal have gone up again, with a kilo trading between Rs. 175 and Rs. 180 in the retail market from the earlier Rs. 150.

Foodgrain merchants predict that the prices may breach the Rs. 200-mark by this year end, before the new crop is harvested.

The prices have reached a historic high of Rs. 150 a kg in the wholesale market, an increase by 25 per cent within a fortnight. It was around Rs. 120 a kg in the wholesale market during the first week of August.

The jump in prices due to crop failure started around April. In May, the wholesale price had crossed Rs. 100 a kg for the first time.

The rising prices of toor dal — the principle source of protein in a vegetarian diet — has had a drastic effect on its consumption, thus raising concerns, said Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, president of Bangalore Wholesale Foodgrains and Pulses Merchants’ Association. He said that the retail market consumption of the dal had come down drastically in the last two months.

S. Raju, a retailer in Rajajinagar, said most households that usually bought 3 kg of toor dal a month have reduced it by half. “Earlier, we never stocked half-kg packets in our store. But now, most of the customers buy only this,” he said.

The worry here is that the next crop is expected only by December 15. Crops in various pockets of south India — Karnataka and Marathwada region of Maharashtra — are expected to be low owing to insufficient rain.

“This time, western and northern India should save south India. Private and government imports are expected to hit the market by October, which we hope would lead to some minor course correction,” Mr. Lahoti said.

The rising prices of toor dal has had a drastic effect on its consumption, thus raising concerns

The rising prices of toor dal has had a drastic effect on its consumption, thus raising concerns