Green gram price stagnant in 2022

The price of green gram (Shwewah variety) hovered unchanged in the domestic market in 2022, unlike volatile black gram and pigeon pea prices.
In early 2022, the green gram price fetched around K2,330-2,420 per viss. The price slightly rose to K2,830-3,000 on 30 December. In mid-October 2022, the price hit the highest of K3,165-3,335 per viss.
The prices of green gram were stagnant between K1.5 million and K2.1 million per tonne in 2022. The prices of black gram fluctuated between K1.28 million and K2.1 million in 2022, while pigeon pea prices moved up and down, ranging from K1.175 to K1.75 million per tonne. There were price differences of K800,000 per tonne of black gram, K1 million for pigeon peas and around K600,000 for green gram.
The green gram possesses the second-largest sowing acres in the country after the black gram. They are grown as a summer crop under a mixed-cultivation system in the lower Myanmar regions. They are cultivated in the central Myanmar regions with an irrigation system.
A green gram is a green bean. Some have a yellow colour. It is the origin of South East Asia yet it is now found in Africa as well.
They are utilized in making bean sprouts and vermicelli. They are a popular soup cuisine in Myanmar.
The official data showed that there were around 3 million acres of winter and monsoon green gram in the 2016-2017 FY, with a production of 1.59 million tonnes. Myanmar conveyed a total of 407,595 tonnes of a green gram to foreign markets in the 2016-2017 FY. The highest price was K1.2 million then.
Black gram and pigeon peas are primarily shipped to India. Yet, green gram is mostly exported to European countries and China.
Myanmar has shipped 430,000 tonnes of black gram, 380,000 tonnes of green gram and 93,000 tonnes of pigeon peas to foreign trade partners as of 2 December since April in the current 2022-2023FY.
Green gram Shwe Wah varieties from the Kayan area are offered at the highest price in the domestic market. Those from the Wakema area are also highly demanded. Those three types of beans are commercially valued crops and generate foreign earnings like rice. — TWA/EMM