The story
The black cotton soils of the Kalaburagi region make it one of India's main tur growing belts, and the district is often called the pulse bowl of Karnataka. Dal mills grew in and around Kalaburagi city to process the local crop. Gulbarga tur dal is known for its taste and quick cooking, and carries a GI tag.
In numbers
DC-MSME lists the Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) dal mills among the identified MSE clusters of Karnataka.
Karnataka State Industrial Profile 2015-16 (MSME-DI Bengaluru, DC-MSME) · 2016
GI tag
- Gulbarga Tur DalApplication no. GI application no. 593Registration details of Geographical Indications (IP India GI Registry)
Ways in for a newcomer
- Modern dal mill with colour sorter
- Branded, packed GI tur dal for cities
- Cattle feed from husk and brokens
- Pulse trading and warehousing
Problems the cluster faces
- Crop failure in drought years
- Price swings and imports
- Old milling technology
- Power costs