March 31, 2006	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 1, 1427

KARACHI, March 30: Prices of mash and moong pulses have witnessed a steep rise in the last few days, rising to Rs67-68 and Rs58-60 per kg, respectively, from Rs46 and Rs48 earlier this month, showing a jump of Rs22 and Rs12 per kg.

Gram pulse also became costlier to Rs32-34 from Rs30 per kg in the retail markets.

This increase has come at a time when people are looking for a substitute for chicken whose sales remain very depressed owing to bird flu scare.

Mohammad Shakeel, former general-secretary of the Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA), said currently there was an acute shortage of mash stocks in the wholesale markets, as traders had slowed down imports from Myanmar because of high rates. At present the rate of mash Myanmar is being quoted over $650 per ton as compared to $525 earlier this month.

Mr Shakeel said the new crop in Myanmar would arrive in April and importers would be able to bring it in May. He said the local traders had also exported mash pulse to India.

He said the wholesale rate of moong was ruling at Rs56 as compared to Rs40-42 some 15 days back and added that some importers had brought the commodity from Myanmar but quality was not up to the standard.

Moong is also produced in Pakistan and the new crop is expected to hit the market in May.

Anis Majeed, adviser to the KWGA, said that India was extensively buying pulses from Myanmar and other countries that had pushed prices to the phenomenal level. He said Pakistan had been self-sufficient in moong for the last five years and had been exporting it to various countries. However, this year the crop got damaged owing to untimely rains, and the production is likely to drop to 90,000 tons as compared to 125,000-130,000 tons last year.

Mr Majeed said the country used to produce 20,000-25,000 tons of mash pulse every year, but this year the prospect for good crop was not healthy.

The production of mash and masoor pulses dropped owing to imports of these commodities that discouraged farmers to reduce the cultivated area, coupled with excessive rains that affected the standing crop.

The production of gram last year stood at over one million tons, but this year the crop was expected to range between 350,000 and 400,000 tons, Mr Majeed added.