Tuvar dal traders urge retailers to sell for fair price

Mumbai: The wholesale dal traders of APMC are trying to persuade retailers to sell tuvar (arhar) dal for just Rs 10 more than the wholesale rate. Retailers commonly charge up to Rs 40-50 more per kg.

The announcement comes hours after the opposition questioned the government
over how a large retail chain like Big Bazaar was selling imported tuvar dal for Rs 99 per kg whereas the government itself proposed to sell the commodity for Rs 120.

At present the retail price of tuvar dal in Apna Bazar is Rs 174 and in Andheri Lokhandwala is Rs 160.

The Federation of Associations of APMC issued a press release Thursday to say that wholesale and retail businessmen would work together to ensure fair price.

Federation chief Mohan Gurnani said the state government had convened a meeting of dal millers, wholesalers and retailers to discuss the spiralling price of tuvar dal. The wholesalers were represented by the Grain Rice and Oilseeds Merchants Association and shopkeepers by the Retail Grain Dealers Federation. "The state proposed to provide tuvar dal to organised retailers like Reliance, D'Mart, Apna Bazar and Hypercity for Rs 120 per kg which they would then sell for a margin of merely 70 paise to consumers. Similarly wholesalers will sell to retailers for a reasonable price so they can also benefit consumers," Gurnani said.
Ashok Badia of GROMA said they were requesting retailers to keep Rs 10 per kg as overhead costs and profit. "So any dal whose wholesale rate is Rs 120 will be available to the common man at a retail price of Rs 130. That is a fair and adequate margin since overhead costs of transportation, loading and storage all amount to Rs 5 per kg. We have requested participating retailers to install signboards outside their shops saying they are selling dal at this fair margin," he said. Advertisements to this effect have reportedly been issued in Kutchi publications.

However, it will take more than persuasion and goodwill to convince local shopkeepers. An Andheri grocer said, "Our price depends on quality. Imported tuvar dal is cheaper because it is inferior to indigenous varieties. Moreover once we start selling for just Rs 10 more than the wholesale rate, consumers will expect us to do the same for other dals and all commodities. Should we compromise on our profits?"