About Chana
Chana (chickpea) is India's largest pulse. Desi chana becomes chana dal and besan for snacks and sweets; large white kabuli chana goes into chole and is exported.
Where Chana Is Grown in Karnataka
The main chana districts of Karnataka are Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Dharwad, Gadag, Bagalkot. Karnataka is India's leading producer of ragi, coffee, arecanut and silk, and a top producer of maize, tur, tomato, onion, flowers, grapes, pomegranate and coconut. Bengaluru is the centre of India's flower trade, and Davangere, Kalaburagi, Kolar and Byadgi host major crop markets.
Season in Karnataka
Rabi: sown October–November, harvested February–April. Exact arrival dates in Karnataka depend on local sowing and the monsoon, so check current arrivals before planning purchases.
How Chana Is Sold in Karnataka
Farm produce is sold through regulated APMC market yards under the state's agricultural produce marketing law, run by the state agricultural marketing board, with many yards linked to eNAM. Karnataka was one of the first states to run a unified electronic market platform across its APMCs.
Other major markets in Karnataka
- Yeshwanthpur APMC, BengaluruOnion, potato, grainsAboutExplore
- K.R. Market and IFAB, BengaluruFlowersAboutExplore
- DavangereMaizeAboutExplore
- KalaburagiTurAboutExplore
- KolarTomatoAboutExplore
- ShivamoggaArecanutAboutExplore
- ByadgiChilliAboutExplore
Government Buying in Karnataka
MSP; NAFED buys and holds a buffer. In Karnataka, buying is organised through the agencies below, usually at procurement centres in or near the mandis during the harvest window. Farmers register in advance, and payment is made to their bank accounts.
- Karnataka State Agricultural Marketing BoardRegulated marketsAboutExplore
- Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies CorporationRagi and paddy procurementAboutExplore
- CAMPCO and arecanut cooperativesArecanut marketingAboutExplore
Quality and Price Notes
Desi chana is graded by size, colour and freedom from damaged grain; kabuli chana by count (for example 42/44, 58/60 per ounce), whiteness and uniformity. Prices depend on the MP, Maharashtra and Rajasthan crops, NAFED buying and buffer sales, import duties on yellow peas and Australian chana, and demand from besan and snack makers. Futures are suspended, so Indore and Bikaner mandi prices serve as benchmarks.
Buyers, Processors and Exporters
These companies and bodies buy, process or export chana across India, including from Karnataka. Tap a name for details.
- Haldiram Snacks Pvt LtdNamkeen; besan buyerAboutExplore
- Bikaji Foods International LtdBikaner · namkeenAboutExplore
- Olam Agri India Pvt LtdPulses sourcing and importsAboutExplore
- Mangat Ram Dal Mill Pvt LtdDelhi · dal miller and pulses supplierAboutExplore
- India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA)Mumbai · trade body of pulses importers, millers and tradersAboutExplore
- NAFEDBuys pulses at MSP and holds the pulses bufferAboutExplore
- Tata Consumer Products LtdTata Sampann unpolished dals and besanAboutExplore
- AWL Agri Business LtdFortune besan and dals (formerly Adani Wilmar)AboutExplore
- Patanjali Foods LtdPatanjali dals and besanAboutExplore
- 24 Mantra Organic (Sresta Natural Bioproducts Pvt Ltd)Organic dalsAboutExplore
- Pro Nature Organic Foods Pvt LtdOrganic dalsAboutExplore
- BigBasket (Supermarket Grocery Supplies Pvt Ltd)Online grocery; branded and loose dalsAboutExplore
Research and Advice in Karnataka
New varieties, crop advice and seed for chana growers in Karnataka come from the state agricultural universities below and from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in each district.
- University of Agricultural Sciences, BengaluruBengaluruAboutExplore
- University of Agricultural Sciences, DharwadDharwadAboutExplore
- University of Horticultural SciencesBagalkotAboutExplore
Chana in Other States
Madhya Pradesh · Maharashtra · Rajasthan · Gujarat · Uttar Pradesh · Andhra Pradesh
Related: Chana – all India · Karnataka · All crops
Names are listed for reference only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. The About and Explore buttons open Google in a new tab; results there are generated by Google and third parties, not by this site. Prices, MSP, export rules and schemes change often. Nothing here is financial, legal or purchasing advice. Full disclaimer