Where Tur Is Grown
Maharashtra grows the largest crop, across Vidarbha (Akola, Amravati, Yavatmal, Washim) and Marathwada (Latur, Beed, Osmanabad, Jalna). Karnataka follows, and its Kalaburagi district is called the "tur bowl" of India; its dal carries the Gulbarga Tur Dal GI tag. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh (Bundelkhand and the east), Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are the other growers. Tur is mostly rain-fed and often grown as an intercrop with soybean, cotton or jowar.
How Tur Is Grown and Milled
Tur is a long-duration crop of five to nine months. It is sown with the monsoon and harvested in winter when the pods dry. Short-duration varieties allow a following wheat or chana crop. Pod borer and wilt are the main problems, and a few days of frost or late rain at flowering can cut the crop sharply, which is why tur prices swing so much.
Whole tur is sold to dal mills, which dehusk and split it. Many mills apply a little edible oil or water to give the dal its glossy, "polished" look; unpolished dal is now a premium category. Mill hubs at Latur, Akola and Kalaburagi process both Indian and imported tur, and the husk and broken pieces go to cattle feed.
Season Calendar
Sowing
June–July with the monsoon.Harvest and arrivals
December to February in Karnataka, Maharashtra and MP; peak mandi arrivals in January–February.Imports
African tur arrives mostly from August to December, before the Indian crop.Big Tur Mandis
- Latur APMC, MaharashtraIndia's best-known tur and dal-mill marketAboutExplore
- Akola and Amravati APMCs, MaharashtraVidarbha tur marketsAboutExplore
- Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) APMC, KarnatakaThe "tur bowl"; Gulbarga Tur DalAboutExplore
- Jalna and Solapur, MaharashtraTur trading and millingAboutExplore
- Indore and Katni, Madhya PradeshMP tur and dal millingAboutExplore
Government Buying and Imports
Tur has an MSP. When mandi prices fall below it, NAFED and state agencies buy tur from farmers, and the government also keeps a pulses buffer to release when prices rise. To keep dal affordable, India allows tur imports and signed long-term supply arrangements with Mozambique, Malawi and Myanmar. Import policy and stock limits for traders and millers are changed often, so check the current position.
- 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
Brands and Online Sellers
- 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 Technology
Wilt-resistant and shorter-duration varieties from ICRISAT and ICAR, transplanting of tur seedlings, drip irrigation and modern colour-sorting dal mills are improving yields and quality.
- ICAR – Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR)Kanpur · pulse varieties and researchAboutExplore
- ICRISATHyderabad · pigeonpea (tur) researchAboutExplore
Exchange: tur is not traded on a futures exchange today.
Quality and Price Drivers
Whole tur is graded by size, colour (white and red types), moisture and damaged grain; dal by polish, size and broken percentage. Prices depend on the Indian crop, African and Myanmar imports, government stock limits and buffer releases. Because tur is the dal households notice most, government intervenes often, making policy news a key price driver.
Tur (Arhar) by State
Tap a state for its districts, markets, government buying and buyers.
Processed Products
GI-Tagged Products
Related: Tur (Arhar) · Chana · Moong · Urad · Masoor · Rajma · Moth · All crops · Soils.in for farmer help
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