Market Overview Chana prices opened last Monday in the Delhi–Rajasthan (Jaipur) market at ₹5900/25 per quintal and closed on Saturday at ₹5850/75, marking a weekly decline of ₹50 per quintal. Weak demand for chana dal and besan continued to pressure the market, resulting in a second consecutive week of bearish sentiment. Domestic Market Trends • Demand from dal mills remained sluggish, with procurement limited to immediate requirements. • Delhi chana declined by ₹50 per quintal, while Australian chana at Mundra Port weakened by around ₹100. • For several weeks, Delhi chana has been trading within a narrow ₹5800–6000 band. o Weak selling interest at lower levels o Lack of buying strength from millers at higher levels Analysts attribute the persistent decline in consumption to large-scale imports of cheaper yellow peas over the last 1–1.5 years. Peas have increasingly replaced chana dal and besan in many states, reducing overall chana demand. Even a 30% import duty on peas has failed to support chana prices. On 13 November, a vessel carrying 38,500 tonnes of peas from Australia arrived at Kandla Port. Expectations of further imports have led many buyers to limit their purchases. Australian Chana: Crop & Price Update Rumors of weather-related damage to the Australian chana crop circulated in the market, although no confirmation has been provided by Australian exporters or Indian importers. Export prices in USD remained stable throughout the week—suggesting the crop situation may not be as severe as speculated. • Queensland (45% of production): Harvest almost complete • New South Wales (53% of production): Harvest progressing rapidly • Estimated Australian production: 2.1–2.2 million tonnes Experts expect a ₹50–₹100 price difference between old and new crop Australian chana, which may increase selling pressure on older stocks and limit price recovery. Currently, an estimated 2.25 lakh tonnes of Australian chana is lying at Indian ports, with offtake occurring only as needed. Trade bodies continue urging the government to raise chana import duty, but no official response has been received. Import duty remains at 10%. Price Outlook To strengthen domestic production and ensure better returns for farmers, analysts recommend: • Raising chana import duty from 10% to 30% • Increasing import duty on peas from 30% to 50% In the last three months, Delhi chana has traded between ₹5700 (support) and ₹6175 (resistance). Despite occasional signs of recovery, selling pressure has consistently capped gains. A strong uptrend would require a decisive breakout above ₹6200. Otherwise, prices are expected to remain within the ₹5700–6200 range. A weekly close below ₹5700 could trigger further weakness. Sowing and Production Outlook Chana sowing is expected to rise across most states this season due to limited crop alternatives for farmers. Early sowing reports from Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Gujarat are notably strong.