Pant University scientists have forecaste farm prices of paddy to range between Rs1,300 and Rs1,400 per quintal in the forthcoming harvesting season. This forecast has been made under the 'Network Project on Market Intelligence' which is in progress in the Department of Agricultural Economics of College of Agriculture of GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar.
One of the objectives of this project is to make price forecasts well in advance of sowing of selected agricultural commodities and during harvesting. Research project member, Rojani Mishra, under the supervision of Principle Investigator, Dr Anil Kumar, had conducted a market survey of Rudrapur regulated market, a major market for fine paddy in Uttarakhand, and analyzed the market price data which prevailed in last eleven years in this market.
The results of econometric analysis showed that the market prices of fine paddy, viz. Sarbati, Pusa 1121, etc. in Rudrapur market would be ruling in the range of Rs1,300-Rs1,400 per quintal in November and December 2015. This forecast is based on past data and model and that actual market price may not turn out to be the same as forecasted. Scientists have advised farmers who wish to take fine paddy cultivation in the current season on their farms to decide the varieties and acreage under fine paddy crop considering forecasted price of fine paddy as well as India produces about 20 per cent of global rice production.
The area under paddy in India was 43.97 million hectares and production was around 104.32 million tones during 2012-13. West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Assam, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the major paddy producing States in India. As far as Uttarakhand is concerned, area under paddy was 2.80 lakh ha and production was 5.93 lakh tonnes during 2012-13. The major paddy producing districts in Uttarakhand are Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun and Haridwar.