In the New Delhi spot market, chana fell 58.95 rupees to 4,200 rupees per 100 kg. Chana is a winter crop and its sowing, which is in progress, depends on soil moisture. Heavy rains in September have increased the moisture levels in soil, creating favourable conditions for planting over a larger area. Sowing is lagging behind in some areas due to delayed harvesting of summer crop, but the overall area is expected to exceed last year's, helped by attractive prices, traders and analysts said.
OILSEEDS Indian rapeseed futures rose to their highest level in a week, helped by lower arrivals in a lean season and lower stocks. The actively traded rapeseed contract for January delivery on the NCDEX ended 1.10 percent higher at 4,215 rupees per 100 kg, after rising as much as 4,239 rupees, the highest since December 1.
The key January soybean contract rose 1.44 percent to end at 3,271.50 rupees per 100 kg. Soyoil contract for January delivery on the NCDEX ended down 0.35 percent at 711.80 rupees, helped by global leads. At the Indore spot market in Madhya Pradesh, soyoil fell 3.30 rupees to 729.75 rupees per 10 kg, while soybeans rose 15 rupees to 3,243 rupees per 100 kg. At Jaipur in Rajasthan, rapeseed rose 2.65 rupees to 4,353.35 rupees.
TURMERIC Indian turmeric futures fell due to weak overseas demand amid higher stocks while the approaching supply season also weighed on prices. The April turmeric contract on the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) ended down 0.17 percent at 5,736 rupees per 100 kg. At Nizamabad, spot turmeric rose 76 rupees to 5,047.5 rupees on demand from north India. The area under turmeric cultivation is lower this year due to scant rainfall during the planting season and the shift of acreage to other crops, but higher carry-forward stocks are expected to keep supplies firm.
PEPPER Indian pepper futures ended flat as estimates of higher output and sluggish overseas sales were offset by low stocks in the local market. The most-active February pepper contract on the NCDEX ended 0.15 percent higher to 33,615 rupees per 100 kg. Spot pepper fell 269.6 rupees to 38,577.8 rupees per 100 kg in Kochi, a key market in Kerala, due to thin domestic supplies. Pepper production is likely to rise in the states of Karnataka and Kerala, the two top producers.
CUMIN SEEDS Indian jeera futures rose on the slow pace of sowing in Gujarat, the top producer of the spice, though subdued local purchases and weak overseas demand restricted the gains. Jeera is a winter crop for which sowing in Gujarat, the top producer, will continue through December. The March jeera contract on the NCDEX ended up 0.75 percent at 15,140 rupees per 100 kg. Spot jeera fell 43.2 rupees to 14,865.90 rupees per 100 kg at Unjha.
India is the world's top producer of jeera, or cumin seed, followed by Syria and Turkey.
SUGAR Indian sugar futures recovered from early losses in choppy session to trade flat after hitting their lowest level in six weeks, for the third time in a week, weighed by higher supplies and weak demand from consumers. The key January contract on the NCDEX ended flat at 3,276 rupees per 100 kg, recovering from 3,263 rupees, the lowest since October 25. Spot sugar edged down by 1.85 rupees to 3,339.15 rupees per 100 kg at Kolhapur in top-producing Maharashtra state.