The wholesale market ended on a mixed note during the week as select edible oils drifted lower owing to soft demand at prevailing levels while a few others strengthened on scattered buying from retailers.
A similar trend was seen in non-edible section as linseed oil slipped due to reduced offtake by consuming industries while castor oil edged up on scattered demand.
Marketmen said easing demand against adequate stock position mainly led to decline in select edible oil prices.
They said, however, scattered buying from retailers helped some other oils trade higher.
Meanwhile, India's import of vegetable oils increased 15 per cent to 11.69 lakh tonnes last month on rising shipments of refined palm oil, industry body SEA said, seeking change in duty structure to protect domestic processors.
In the national capital, groundnut mill delivery (Gujarat) oil met with resistance at prevailing levels and slipped by Rs 100 to Rs 12,900 per quintal. Groundnut solvent refined, however, held steady at Rs 1,950-2,000 per tin on some support.
Soyabean refined mill delivery (Indore) and soyabean degum (Kandla) oils also weakened by Rs 50 each to Rs 6,700 and Rs 6,400 per quintal, espectively.
On the other hand, mustard expeller (Dadri) oil found some buying support from local parties and advanced by Rs 100 to Rs 8,600 per quintal. Mustard pakki and kachi ghani oils moved in a narrow range in limited deals and settled at previous week's levels of Rs 1,350-1,400 and Rs 1,400-1,500 per tin, respectively.
Cottonseed mill delivery (Haryana) oils also edged up by Rs 50 to Rs 6,500 per quintal.
However, palmolein (RBD) and palmolein (Kandla)oils moved both ways on alternate bouts of buying and selling and ended flat at Rs 5,800 and Rs 5,850 per quintal, respectively.
Among non-edible oils, linseed lacked necessary buying support from paint industries and eased by Rs 50 to Rs 9,750 per quintal while castor oil traded higher by Rs 50 to Rs 9,600-9,700 per quintal on increased industrial offtake.
Grains: Rice basmati and a few other bold grains showed a downward trend in their prices at the wholesale grains market during the week due to reduced offtake against ample stocks position.
However, wheat edged up on scattered demand from flour mills.
Traders said reduced offtake against ample stock position on higher supplies from producing belts mainly kept pressure on rice basmati and a few other bold grains prices.
They said, however, mild demand from flour mills helped wheat prices trade marginally higher.
In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety slipped to close at Rs 5,700-5,900 and Rs 4,500-5,400 against last week's close of Rs 5,900-6,100 and Rs 4,800-5,700 per quintal, respectively, on subdued demand.
Other bold grains like, barley and bajra slumped to Rs 1,540-1,545 and Rs 1,530-1,540 against last close of Rs 1,650-1,655 and Rs 1,630-1,640 per quintal, respectively, on muted demand from consuming industries.
Maize also eased Rs 40 to Rs 1,550-1,560 per quintal.
On the other hand, wheat dara (for mills) inched up by Rs 5 to Rs 1,780-1,785 per quintal. Atta chakki delivery followed suit and traded higher by a similar margin to Rs 1,790-1,795 per 90 kg.
Atta flour mills, maida and sooji were quoted higher by Rs 10 each to Rs 940-970, Rs 1,000-1,010 and Rs 1,070-1,080 per 50 kg, respectively.
Pulses: Kabli gram and gram prices continued to soar
at the wholesale pulses market for yet another week as speculators indulged in building up positions, triggered by paucity of ready stocks and increased demand even as the government took a series of measures, including increasing buffer stocks and higher imports of pulses, to put brakes on prices and improve supply.
However, urad, moong and masoor were under pressure after pick-up in supplies from producing regions amid weak demand at prevailing levels.
Traders said speculative buying, triggered by shortage of ready stocks in the market amid lower output, lifted kabli gram and gram prices to record high levels.
Meanwhile, trying out all possible ways to control pulse prices that have neared Rs 200 per kg, the Centre decided to set up a committee to relook at the minimum support price and bonus to promote pulse cultivation.
While increasing the size of the buffer stock of pulses to 20 lakh tonnes from the existing 8 lakh tonnes, the government decided to explore avenues for imports from more pulse-growing nations on a government-to-government basis.
The government said it is taking several measures to boost domestic output and imports, besides taking action against hoarders to control rates.
In the national capital, kabli gram small variety climbed to record at Rs 10,000-10,200 as compared to previous week's level of Rs 8,800-10,000 per quintal.
Gram, gramdal local and best quality are also in demand and advanced to Rs 8,400-8,900, Rs 8,600-8,800 and Rs 8,900-9,000 as compared to previous levels of Rs 8,100-8,400, Rs 8,200-8,500 and Rs 8,600-8,700 per quintal, respectively.
Besan shakti bhog and Rajdhani quoted higher at Rs 3,700 each instead of Rs 3,600 each per 35 kg bag in line with gram trend.
Peas white and green too are seen in retailer demand which ended higher by Rs 200 each to Rs 3,800-3,825 and Rs 4,000-4,100 per quintal, respectively.
On the other hand, masoor small and bold slipped by Rs 150 each to close at Rs Rs 6,200-6,500 and Rs 6,250-6,550 per quintal, respectively.
Its dal local and best quality followed suit and traded lower by Rs 200 each to Rs 6,700-7,200 and Rs 6,800-7,300 per quintal, respectively.
Arhar and its dal dara variety slipped to Rs 8,850 and Rs 11,600-13,300 against last close of Rs 9,100 and Rs 11,900-13,600 per quintal, respectively.
Urad and its dal chilka local fell further by Rs 100 each to Rs 10,300-11,800 and Rs 10,600-10,700 per quintal.
Its dal best quality and dhoya followed suit and fell by the same margin to Rs 10,700-11,200 and Rs 11,100-11,400 per quintal, respectively.
Moong and its dal chilka local too finished lower by Rs 100 each to Rs 5,700-6,300 and Rs 6,250-6,650 per quintal.
Its dal dhoya local and best quality weakened by the same margin to Rs 6,650-7,150 and Rs 7,150-7,350 per quintal, respectively.
