Green gram prices remain high on steady demand

The price of green gram remains at the current highs on the back of the steady demand by China, traders said.
The green grams fetch K39,000-41,000 per basket during the harvest season this year, Pakokku commodity depot’s data indicated.
At present, the newly harvested green gram starts flooding the market. It fetched K38,000 per basket when the dollar gains. The growers are happy with the high price.
During the first week of May, the green gram price stood at K101,000 per three-basket bag. It rises to around K118,000 per bag in the May-end. The green grams (Kayan Shwe Wah variety) are priced at around K113,000 per bag. According to Mandalay Wholesale Centre, when the hard currency is flat, the export price of green grams dips.
China accounts for 60 per cent of Myanmar’s green gram exports. In addition, countries in the European Union also purchase green grams from Myanmar. The export volume of green grams to India is lower compared to other countries. China prefers green grams (Shwe Wah) variety, said an official from the Commerce Ministry.
China makes value-added products from green grams and sends them to foreign markets. Moreover, it produces bean by-products as feedstuffs.
The country has generated $172 million revenue from green gram exports in the five months (Oct-Feb) of the current financial year 2020-2021.
Myanmar’s green gram exports have registered at over 330,000 tonnes in the 2015-2016 budget year, over 400,000 tonnes in the 2016-2017FY, and over 350,000 tonnes in the 2017-2018FY and over 300,000 in the 2018-2019FY. Green grams are mainly exported to China through the border trade channels.
Of the total pulses’ exports, green grams accounted for more than 26 per cent of the exports in the previous years.
As per green gram plantation data, there are over 300,000 acres of plantations in the country.
Green grams are primarily grown in Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay, Yangon, Bago, and Ayeyawady regions and Mon and Kayin states.  — KK/GNLM