The Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) has forecast a rise in the market prices of cotton, groundnut, maize and green gram above the minimum support prices (MSP) after the 2015-16 kharif season. The OUAT forecast would help farmers to plan for cultivation of these crops and their storage for two-three months before sale.
According to the forecast, the market price of cotton would be between Rs 3800 and Rs 4000 per quintal against the last year MSP of Rs 3,750. Similarly, groundnut would be sold between Rs 4100 and Rs 4400 per quintal against the MSP of Rs 4,000. Market price of maize would remain between Rs 1,300 and Rs 1,400 per quintal against the last year MSP of Rs 1310. Similarly, price of a quintal of green gram would be in Rs 5,600-Rs 5,700 range. The MSP of green gram was Rs 4,800 last year.
In addition, the OUAT has forecast market price of turmeric at Rs 5,300 per quintal. The prices are likely to increase in future.
These forecasts were made by the Network Project on Market Intelligence of the OUAT, informed varsity’s Agriculture Economics Project Director Dr RK Mishra. The Market Intelligence makes predictions of market prices of the above commodities during pre-sowing and pre-harvest period, he added. “The project helps farmers to earn higher income and prevents the distress sale of their produce,” he said in a statement. He also informed that the market price of coconut is forecast regularly by the centre.