| Commodity experts said chances of a fall in prices were slim if overseas demand remained steady. This is despite the fact that the coming week is expected to see arrivals in full swing. |
| Till a few weeks back, anticipating dull export demand and higher crop output, marketmen had estimated a bearish trend in barley prices. The country is expecting a rise of more than 20 per cent in production to 1.6 million tonnes from last year's 1.3 million tonnes. |
| The arrival of the crop has begun and will pick up momentum by the first week of April. "At present, the daily arrival in Rajasthan is of 50,000 bags (each of 80 kg) which, by next week, will shoot up to 100,000 bags. The despatches through the Kandla port have started which account for nearly half of the current arrivals," said Abhishek Goel, a Jaipur-based trader. |
| Sources said that stockists, who normally enter the market by April-May, were already in, one of the reasons for the rising prices. |
| According to Mumbai-based barley experts, exporters are of the view that by May-June, the overseas demand will go up further. "On the basis of this speculation, stockists are trying to pre-empt the stocks," they said. |
| Marketmen, however, maintain that in the absence of exports, prices may slip to Rs 900 a quintal levels. |
| Earlier, market reports suggested that Ukraine, the traditional source of barley for West Asian countries, lifted the ban on barley exports which it had imposed last year. This was the chief reason for demand from West Asia diverting to India last season, taking domestic prices to as high as Rs 1,300 a quintal. |
| In Jaipur (the main delivery centre), the spot prices were quoted at around Rs 1,125 a quintal on Wednesday. |
| On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, the near month barley contract closed at Rs 1,119 a quintal as against yesterday's close of Rs 1,097 a quintal. |
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