Myanmar pulses exports bag US$895 mln in 8 months

Myanmar exported around 1.06 million tonnes of pulses worth over US$895 million to foreign trade partners in the past eight months of the current 2023-2024 financial year beginning 1 April, the Ministry of Commerce’s statistics showed.
The value of pulses exports by seaborne trade reached $779.206 million (over 924,142.5 tonnes). In contrast, over 135,239 tonnes of pulses worth $116 million were sent to the neighbouring countries through the border, totalling $895.4 million from exports of 1,059,381 tonnes.
Myanmar’s pulses exports amounted to over $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 gram 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 K2.942 million per tonne of black gram (urad) and K3.1 million per tonne of pigeon pea (tur).
Black grams, which India primarily purchases, are commonly found only in Myanmar. In contrast, pigeon peas, green grams, and chickpeas are grown in African countries in Australia, as stated by the Myanmar Pulses, Beans, Maize and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association. — NN/EM