GUNTUR: Even though many other industries suffered heavy losses due to Covid-19, there has been little impact on red gram mills in the district. “Expenditure increased like anything during Covid-19. Sanitising the entire mill is very costly and we are following Covid-19 safety protocol. But we did not suffer losses,” Andhra Pradesh Dal Millers’ Association general secretary Pulla Rao said.
Reason why the millers did not face losses is because red gram is mainly shipped. “We do not completely depend on road transport,” Rao said.The dal supplied to the public through subsidiary schemes by civil supplies departments in AP, Telangana and Tamil Nadu is supplied from here.
Rao demanded the government to modify some of its rules and regulations. Generally, the government invites tenders from those millers who have a turnover of Rs 100 crore. Due to this, a very few millers are getting benefited. The government should encourage small and medium millers too, Rao added.
Increasing demand for red gram is due to quality standards. In recent years the millers adopted latest technology for maintaining quality of the dal, he said. In the last four decades, the industry has grown and how. It currently boasts of an annual turnover of Rs 2,000 crore per annum. Currently, there are 70 dal mills in the region, including 24 in Vinukonda, 17 in Durgi, 13 in Narasaraopet, and remaining in Chilakaluripet and Sattenapalli areas.
About 3,000 people are directly employed in the industry, while around 1,000 work indirectly—transportation and trading. The millers utilise 30 per cent of red gram produced locally and import 70 per cent to various states and abroad. The toor dal produced in Palnadu region has demand in Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Odisha.