Desi Chickpeas Monitor India

VANCOUVER - Dec 8/06 - SNS -- International chickpea markets finished the week's trading little changed as offers from growers and processors remain just behind the ongoing needs of the market.

Desi chickpea markets continue to watch the crop situation on the Indian subcontinent. Initial enthusiasm for planting pulses may not result in as much of an increase over last year as first thought. As of December, total pulse area is up just 0.7% from last year at 10.696 million hectares.

Gram or chickpea seedings are showing the biggest total increase, advancing from 6.284 million hectares at this time last year to 6.586 million this week.

There is also rising concern about dryness in major pulse producing states in the country. The U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction reports that moisture reserves are on the dry side in Gujarat, Rajasthan and southern Pakistan and will likely decline further in the coming week.

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