MUMBAI, July 24 (Reuters) - India chana futures dropped on Friday afternoon tracking weakness in the spot market, where traders were worried the government may impose restrictions on spot trade, analysts said. In the western state of Maharashtra, the biggest producer of kharif pulses, state authorities have been conducting raids on warehouses of traders suspected to be hoarding essential commodities. See [ID:nBOM441493] At 2:04 p.m., the August futures contract NCHQ9 was down 1.48 percent at 2,394 rupees per 100 kg. In the Delhi spot market, the price fell by 18 rupees to 2,357 rupees per 100 kg, after losing two percent in the pervious session. Firm prices of kharif pulses and a likely rise in demand during festive season restricted the losses, they said. Prices of summer-sown pulses have risen by a quarter in the last one month and are unlikely to ease for another year thanks to thin carryover stocks, higher global prices and a likely production drop in 2009/10. Chana, a winter-sown pulse, is priced lower than summer-sown or kharif pulses like tur, urad and moong, but follow their trend as consumers tend to buy the cheaper substitute, pushing up its price as well. GUAR: Indian guar futures opened lower on profit-taking after rising over 8 percent in the past four sessions, analysts said. The futures have been rising on a fall in acreage on scanty rains in north-western India, analysts said. Guar acreage in Rajasthan, the top producer, is down 25 percent in the current sowing season so far from the corresponding period last year due to the monsoon's slow progress and scanty rains, a top official said. See [ID:nBMB006010] At 2:04 p.m., the benchmark guar seed August futures contract NGUQ9 was down 1.30 percent at 2,056 rupees per 100 kg. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav & Sourav Mishra; Editing by Sunil Nair)

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