{
  "id": 16087831,
  "title": "Chana sowing holds key to pulses inflation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/chana-sowing-holds-key-to-pulses-inflation",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-22T18:39:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times - Economy",
    "slug": "the-economic-times-economy",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/chana-sowing-holds-key-to-pulses-inflation/articleshow/135125963.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India's winter chickpea, or chana, acreage could determine inflation in pulses next year, as water shortages and a looming El Nino threaten planting prospects, according to wire material. Chana, the most consumed pulse in India, is crucial for making a variety of foods, from salty snacks to nutritious meals. Adequate soil moisture and cool weather are essential for a good chana crop. Sowing has begun in some regions, but progress has been slow. State advisories to conserve water and shift to less water-intensive crops have raised concerns about winter sowing.\n\nChana prices have surged 30% from a year earlier in the wholesale market, while other pulses like tur, urad, and yellow peas have seen increases of 35-45%. Chana constitutes about 45-50% of total pulse consumption in India, with tur accounting for about 15-20%. With the monsoon deficit expected to reduce tur production, chana's good yield is vital for controlling pulse inflation.\n\nTender prices in auctions of chana from government buffers have risen by around 25% in the past two months, primarily due to October's lack of rainfall. However, there is still a sowing window of over a month for chana. Nitin Kalantry, a pulse processor in Latur, Maharashtra, noted that the crucial sowing period remains.\n\nMaharashtra's chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, advised farmers to prioritize water conservation for drinking purposes, avoiding rabi crop planting where necessary. Some states, like Rajasthan and Karnataka, have similarly encouraged less water-intensive crops. In Vidarbha and Marathwada, where farmers lack assured irrigation, chana sowing may not occur this year.\n\nWith El Nino's impact intensifying on India's agriculture, leading pulses-producing countries are approaching India, aiming to boost exports to the world's largest pulse consumer.",
  "summary": "Chana, India's most consumed pulse, which is central to making everything from salty snacks to nutritious meals, needs adequate soil moisture and cool weather for a good crop. Sowing has started in some regions, but the progress is slow. State advisories to conserve water and shift to less water-intensive crops have added to concerns over winter sowing.",
  "key_points": [
    "Chana acreage could determine next year's pulse inflation in India.",
    "Sowing progress slow due to water shortages and El Nino threat.",
    "Chana constitutes 45-50% of total pulse consumption in India."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}