FIGHTING FOR PRICE: A delegation of the Karnataka Red Gram Growers Association meeting Agriculture Commissioner E. Venkataiah demanding minimum support price for red gram, in Gulbarga on Tuesday.

GULBARGA: Agriculture Commissioner E. Venkataiah, who is the Chairman of the Red Gram Development Board (RGDB), on Tuesday announced that the minimum support price (MSP) for red gram would be announced by the end of November or in the first week of December.

Mr. Venkataiah, who chaired a meeting of the RGDB here, said the MSP would be announced well in advance before fresh stocks of red gram arrived in the market. The Government would take into consideration the cost of cultivation and prevailing market prices before finalising the MSP, he said.

The official said the Union Government had fixed the MSP for red gram at Rs. 1,410 a quintal this year. The State Government would fix a higher support price like it did last year, he said.

Last year, while the Centre fixed the MSP at Rs. 1,400 a quintal, the State Government fixed it a Rs. 1,740 for grade I and Rs. 1,690 for grade II.

Mr. Venkataiah said that unlike in the past, the market intervention by the board would be more effective this season and red gram procurement centres would be set up in Gulbarga, Bidar and Raichur districts, well before the second week of December when fresh stocks start arriving in the market.

Earlier, Mr. Venkataiah met a delegation of the Karnataka Red Gram Growers Association led by its president, Basavaraj Ingin. Mr. Ingin pointed out that the Board had made profits from market intervention in the past three years. This year there was a severe shortage of red gram in the country, and early intervention by the Board would not only help farmers but also ensure that the Board made a good profit.

Mr. Ingin also demanded the Board change its bylaws to allow red gram growers to become shareholders.

Mr. Venkataiah said the Board had decided to give more impetus to research and development to enable the introduction of high-yielding varieties of red gram and effectively fight the pests affecting the crop.

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