New Delhi. The gram market remained subdued this week due to increased selling at high prices and weak demand. With demand for *chana dal* (split gram) and *besan* (gram flour) remaining sluggish, buying by pulse mills was virtually at a standstill, keeping continuous pressure on gram prices. Following the rally seen last week, buyers are currently avoiding purchases at these elevated price levels. Meanwhile, stockist activity remains limited, failing to provide adequate market support. Prices in major *mandis* (wholesale markets) remain weak due to the lack of expected improvement in demand. However, arrivals in producing regions remain below normal, making a sharp drop in prices unlikely for now; limited arrivals are providing support at lower price levels. Meanwhile, positive signals are emerging from the international market. Gram production in Australia is projected to fall by approximately 35% during the 2026-27 crop year, potentially bringing total output down to around 1.1 million tonnes. Due to a lack of rainfall, the area under gram cultivation there is also expected to shrink by about 35% to 732,000 hectares. Market experts believe that if the production decline forecast for Australia proves accurate, global gram availability could be impacted, thereby supporting international prices. This could also influence the Indian market. Domestically, demand for *chana dal* and *besan* is expected to gradually improve following the onset of the monsoon. Any rise in demand could provide additional support to gram prices. Consequently, while the market may remain under pressure in the near term, sentiment is expected to remain strong over the medium term. Due to weak demand from pulse mills, Delhi chana prices saw a decline of ₹100 per quintal during the week; by the weekend, rates stood at ₹5,900–₹5,925 per quintal for Madhya Pradesh-origin chana and ₹5,925–₹5,975 per quintal for Rajasthan-origin chana.

Increased selling pressure from importers and sluggish buying activity led to a drop of ₹50–₹75 per quintal in imported chana prices this week. Consequently, weekend rates settled at ₹5,850 per quintal for Tanzanian chana (Mumbai), ₹6,050 for Australian chana (Nhava Sheva), and ₹5,925 for chana at Mundra.

Weak buying by pulse millers caused a decline of ₹75–₹150 per quintal in Rajasthan chana prices this week. Weekend rates stood at ₹4,800–₹5,550 per quintal in Jodhpur, ₹5,950 in Jaipur, ₹5,400–₹5,650 in Bikaner, ₹5,400–₹5,480 in Kishangarh, and ₹5,200–₹5,550 in Kota.

Increased selling by stockists and subdued demand from pulse millers resulted in a price drop of ₹100–₹200 per quintal for Maharashtra chana during the week. Weekend rates settled at ₹5,400–₹6,300 per quintal in Solapur, ₹6,000–₹6,300 in Latur, ₹6,075 in Akola, ₹6,050 in Nagpur, and ₹5,500–₹5,700 in Ahmednagar.

Due to sluggish buying interest, gram prices in Madhya Pradesh fell by ₹100–200 per quintal this week. By the weekend, prices stood at ₹5,700–5,850 in Ashoknagar, ₹5,400–5,700 in Ganjbasoda, ₹5,500–5,700 in Sagar, ₹5,900–5,950 in Katni, and ₹6,050–6,150 per quintal in Indore.

Driven by a broad market decline and weak buying, gram prices in Kanpur dropped by ₹100 per quintal during the week, settling at ₹6,000 per quintal by the weekend. Similarly, gram prices in Raipur also saw a decline of ₹100 per quintal, ending the week at ₹6,050–6,200 per quintal.

Due to a lack of buying interest, Chana Dal prices fell by ₹100–150 per quintal during the week. By the weekend, prices stood at ₹6,950–7,250 in Delhi, ₹7,200–7,300 in Bhatapara, ₹7,250 in Katni, ₹7,200–7,300 in Gulbarga, ₹7,150–7,950 in Jalgaon, ₹6,800 in Jaipur, and ₹6,700–6,800 per quintal in Kanpur.