Tamarind fetching handsome price in NyaungU Tsp

Tamarind businesses in NyaungU Township, Mandalay Region are thriving during the harvest season, benefiting the local community, said a worker U Than Saung from Kalatel village.
The local residents earn daily income of K3,000-K8,000 depending on hour and regions while harvesting the tamarind. The tamarind growers allow them to earn for livings in summer. The ripe tamarinds are sent to warehouses in Kyaukpadaung city. The prices stand at K2,000 per viss (a viss equals to 1.6 kg) for tamarind with seed and 3,000 for processed tamarind without seed.
Furthermore, byproduct seed can be sold at K5,000 per basket. The processed tamarinds are stored well as the growers wait for the right time to sell them.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the price of seeded tamarinds was K800 to K1,450 per viss, whereas the seedless tamarinds were priced K2,850 per viss in 2020.
Normally, the tamarinds are highly traded once they enter the market. Traders for Bangladesh market purchase them a lot, according to Mandalay market.
Myanmar’s tamarinds are regularly purchased by Bangladesh and India every year. China has started to buy them from last seven years.
Every year, all the tamarind producing areas across the country will abundantly supply them at the market in the pre-Maha Thingyan Festival period.
Myanmar shipped US$9.6 million worth of 20,662 tonne in the 2021-2022 Financial Year, which was an increase of 9,796 tonne (estimated value of $5.6 million) compared to the 2020-2021 FY.
Tamarind trees are mostly found in central Myanmar regions — Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway. They can be harvested only once a year in summer. Myanmar people use tamarind in traditional cuisine besides making traditional medicines. It is also a lucrative export item. — Ko Htein (KPD)/ GNL