The prices of mentha oil for the December contract gained by Rs 10, or 0.91 per cent to Rs 1,119.40 per kg, with a trading volume of 1,339 lots at the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) since the traders enlarged their holdings tracking the rise in the demand at the domestic markets.
The oil for the February contract also edged up by Rs 9.00 or 0.70 per cent to Rs 1,138 per kg, with a business turnover of 38 lots at the MCX.
The commodity for the January contract rose by Rs 8, or 0.70 per cent to Rs 1,132.50 per kg, with a business turnover of 313 lots at the MCX.
Moreover, the reduced supply in the physical market from the growing belts of Uttar Pradesh also supported the prices of the oil.
Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species vary from 13 to 18.
Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally. Many other hybrids as well as numerous cultivars are known in cultivation.
The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America