Myanmar bags over $87 mln from 110,000-tonne export of pulses in April FY 2023-2024

Myanmar shipped more than 110,000 tonnes of pulses, with an estimated value of over US$87 million, to foreign countries in April during the 2023-2024 financial year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Between 1 and 28 April 2023, the pulses exports by seaborne trade amounted to $74.563 million (99,091.438 tonnes), whereas 14,085.045 tonnes of pulses worth $12.677 million were sent to the neighbouring countries through land borders, totalling $87.24 million.
Myanmar brought in over US$1.4 billion from over 1.9 million tonnes of various pulses exports in the past financial year 2022-2023, the Ministry of Commerce’s statistics indicated.
Myanmar primarily exports black gram, green gram and pigeon peas to foreign markets. Of them, black gram and pigeon peas are mostly conveyed to India while green grams are shipped to China and Europe.
India has growing demand and consumption requirements for black gram and pigeon peas. According to a Memorandum of Understanding between Myanmar and India signed on 18 June 2022, India will import 250,000 tonnes of black gram and 100,000 tonnes of pigeon peas (tur) from Myanmar for five consecutive years from 2021-2022 financial year to 2025-2026 FY. This G-to-G pact will not affect the pulses’ annual quota set by India. Myanmar’s exporters are also entitled to deliver the pulses to India under that annual quota.
The prevailing price of black gram is K2,169,000 per tonne, while pigeon peas fetch K2,437,500 per tonne and green gram is priced at K2,060,000 per tonne, according to Yangon Region Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Bayint Naung Commodity Centre).
On 18 April, the prices hit a record high of K2.183 million per tonne for black gram, K2.45 million for pigeon pea and K2.06 million for green gram from the central region, according to Yangon Region Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Bayintnaung Commodity Centre).
Myanmar yearly produces approximately 400,000 tonnes of black gram and about 50,000 tonnes of pigeon peas.
Black grams that India primarily purchases are commonly found only in Myanmar, whereas pigeon peas, green grams and chickpeas are grown in African countries and Australia, Myanmar Pulses, Beans, Maize and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association. — NN/EM