Store, sell ragi after March to get higher prices: DEMIC

With farm gate prices of ragi expected to be around Rs 17-19 per kg till February and likely to increase by Rs 2 after that, farmers have recommended to store and sell their produce in March to get good price.

Present farm gate prices of maize is Rs 1,300 per quintal, whereas ragi is sold at Rs 1,700 per quintal.

This will not support increased use of ragi in feed preparation, according to the Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, which carried out a market analysis for benefit of farmers.

Ragi is substituted with maize in feed preparation whenever prices of ragi is lower. The main factors which decide prices of ragi in Tamil Nadu are production in Karnataka, demand by end users and maize price, DEMIC said. Moreover, a bumper ragi production is expected in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, which would support lower ragi prices.

The cell carried out the analysis of last 10 years' prices in the Tindivanam market and arrived at the conclusion that prices would go up by Rs 2 a kilo after March.

DEMIC also carried out an analysis to know prices of sunflower, which it said would be around Rs 34-36 per kg during March-April period of next year, as against prevailing prices of Rs 35 per kg.

Last year prices at harvesting time in March was at Rs 33-36 and considering this farmers are advised to take their sowing decision on sunflower, it said.