Chickpea growers in Pwintbyu Township, Magway Region are expecting a good price in the coming harvest season amid low yield this year.
On 5 February, the prices of chickpeas ranged between US$1,365 and $1,385 per tonne, Bayintnaung market’s data showed.
At present, the domestic bean market is positively related to the law of supply and demand. The black bean price depends on the buyers and sellers. There is no official set price, the traders stressed.
“The prices usually fluctuate depending on supply and demand. When the peas are loaded on the ship, the prices climb up. The market is now slowing down due to transport problem and transaction difficulties,” said a trader from Mandalay shared his opinion.
“This year, the yield of chickpea per acre is five baskets lower than last year. Last year, a basket of chickpea was worth over K20,000. We are waiting for a good price this year as well. Now, the irrigation water has been distributed. The summer chickpea and sesame growers are competitively hiring the workers for harvesting, which allows the village workers to earn K5,000 a day. Those who have already harvested the chickpea are also treating their farms to grow paddy and other crops,” said a chickpea grower from Letpanwe village of Pwintbyu Township.
The winter chickpeas are ripe enough to be harvested in Pwintbyu Township. The growers started plucking them in early March, a local grower said.
Myanmar exported chickpeas to India, Pakistan, UAE, Turkey and other foreign markets last year.
The chickpeas are cultivated in Yangon, Mandalay, Bago, Sagaing and Ayeyawady regions and Nay Pyi Taw. There are 890,000 acres of chickpeas across the country.
The peas are cultivated in October and November and they are harvested in the January-April period. —Ye Win Naing/ KK/GNLM
