Prices of black grams, pigeon peas on upward trajectory amid robust foreign demand

Yangon Region Chamber of Commerce (Bayintnaung Wholesale Centre) sees a bustling trade activity of black grams and pigeon peas.
On 1 February, the price of pigeon pea was K1,930,000 per tonne while black gram fetched K1,762,000 per tonne.
At present, the prices stood at K2,126,500 per tonne for pigeon peas and K1,860,000 for black grams, showing a sharp increase of K196,500 per tonne of pigeon pea and K98,000 per tonne of black gram within one month.
The price rise is attributed to the strong demand by India and China.
Myanmar bagged over US$1.1 billion from more than 1.5 million tonnes of pulses exports over the past ten months in the current financial year 2022-2023 (April-March). The pulses’ export volumes were 185,505.772 kilogrammes of pigeon pea ($144.611 million) and 595,886.762 kilos of black gram ($489.688 million).
Myanmar primarily exports black gram, green gram and pigeon peas. Of them, black gram and pigeon peas are mainly sent to India while green grams are shipped to China and Europe.
India has growing demand and consumption requirements for black grams 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 also entitled to deliver the pulses to India under that annual quota.
Myanmar yearly produces approximately 400,000 tonnes of black gram and about 50,000 tonnes of pigeon peas. Myanmar is the top producer of the black gram that is primarily demanded by India, while pigeon peas, green grams and chickpeas are cultivated in Australia and African countries besides Myanmar. — NN/EM