Myanmar earns US$1.123 bln from over 1.3M tonnes of pulse exports in ten months

Myanmar shipped over US$1.123 billion worth of pulses weighing over 1.3 million tonnes to foreign trade partners in the past ten months of the current 2023-2024 financial year beginning 1 April, the Ministry of Commerce’s statistics showed.
Myanmar bagged $1 billion from pulses exports of over 1.18 million tonnes through seaborne trade. In contrast, around 139,132 tonnes of pulses worth $119.73 million were sent to the neighbouring countries through land borders as of 2 February 2023, totalling $1.123 billion from exports of 1,319,203.97 tonnes.
The value of Myanmar’s pulses exports totalled over US$1.47 billion from over 1.9 million tonnes in the previous FY 2022-2023, the Ministry of Commerce’s statistics indicated.
Myanmar mainly exports black gram, green gram and pigeon peas to foreign markets. Black grams and pigeon peas are primarily shipped to India, while green grams are exported 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 2021, 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 entitled to deliver the pulses to India under that yearly quota.
The prevailing market prices are K3.3 million per tonne of black gram (urad), K4.027 million per tonne of pigeon pea (tur) and K2.04 million per tonne of green gram. Myanmar Pulses, Beans, Maize and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association stated that black grams, which India primarily purchases, are commonly found only in Myanmar, whereas pigeon peas, green grams and chickpeas are grown in African countries and Australia. — NN/EM