Bhopal:
At a time when food prices are hitting the roof, a fall in supply can spell a disaster. Gadarwara in Madhya Pradesh - one of the largest wholesale markets for pulses - is facing a similar situation. The bustling market wears an unusual silence.
Nearby pulse mills are working half-capacity because supplies are low and erratic.
"The raw material is not in steady supply. By this time, usually, the wholesale market is flooded with pulses," said Dhanraaj Chokse, a pulse mill owner.
The reason for this misery is the record-breaking cold wave which has destroyed 50% of Madhya Pradesh's pulse crops last month.
This is a matter of concern considering the state accounts for 42% of the national supplies.
Farm after farm, the pulse crop has been completely wiped out and the damage is unprecedented. The farmers are already reeling under the loss.
"In my entire lifetime, I have not seen such a mammoth ruination of crops," Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said.
Now the shortage threatens to affect retail prices. Tuar daal prices in Madhya Pradesh have already jumped from Rs 60 a kilo to Rs 70 a kilogram.
"Hoarders, big traders and players who trade online will benefit the most, and they will do everything to spike the prices further," said Ravi Khajanchi, spokesperson, Grain & Pulse Merchant Association, Gadarwara.