The growers started harvesting the chickpea grown using Thukaungtae river water in Nyaung-U township. Mandalay region expects a reasonable chickpea price this year, said U Tin Soe, a chickpea grower from Auk Nyan village.
Last year, the chickpea was sold for K26,000 per basket. So, the local growers expect that the chickpea price will not fall this year below that of last year.
The chickpea was started to grow in November in Nyaung-U township and harvested in March. The harvested chickpeas are sold only in the Pakokku market. The crops yielding from Nyaung-U township are sent generally to the Pakokku market.
This year, the chickpeas fetch K23,000 per basket. Each basket contains 19 visses. The chickpeas are offered to the consumers to pay K23,500 per basket, said U Bo Gyi from the Nilar depot in Pakokku town.
The chickpeas are grown in farmlands with access to the river water so that the growers do not need to add more irrigation water. But, the growers need to spend the labour charges to harvest the chickpeas. It cost K3,000 per person and K20,000 per hour for ploughing fees. After cultivating the chickpeas in the farmland, the growers do not spray the pesticides but add the natural fertilizers such as cow dung, goat manure and leaf compost, according to the chickpea growers. — Ko Htein (KPD)/GNLM
