The wholesale prices of common paddy fell across the benchmark markets, while that of basmati paddy increased, according to the data from the Agmarknet portal, run by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Basmati paddy’s average wholesale prices rose to Rs 3,675.2 per quintal in March from Rs 3,255.83 in February, while common paddy’s average wholesale prices fell to Rs 2,558.53 per quintal in March from Rs 2,602.79, the data showed.
States where the wholesale prices of basmati paddy surged include Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Uttarakhand saw a whopping rise of 51.67% to Rs 2,912 per quintal in March. In Uttar Pradesh, the prices increased marginally by 0.25% to Rs 3,544 per quintal.
However, in several states such as Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana the prices of basmati paddy plummeted in the range of 3-7% in March. Punjab, a key rice-producing state, saw the highest drop of 7.13% to Rs 3,737 per quintal.
The month-on-month wholesale prices of common paddy fell in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Delhi, Rajasthan, and various other regions. In Delhi, the prices dropped by 9.72% to Rs 2,841 per quintal, and in Karnataka, they fell by 8.33% to Rs 2,233 per quintal. However, many regions such as Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Pondicherry, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand saw a month-on-month rise in wholesale prices of common paddy.
For those interested in exploring the prices of various crops in their respective state markets, the official website agmarknet.gov.in provides a comprehensive list. Understanding the price dynamics of different crops and their quality assessment remains pivotal in navigating market fluctuations for farmers and traders alike.
