CNI News
2 Mar 2023
The prices of pulse and bean varieties such as mung bean, pigeon pea and green gram increased in the late February, fetching higher prices than the same period last year, according to pulse and bean merchants.
Low stocks in the domestic market, falling yields and higher prices in the Indian market pushed up the prices of pulses and beans in the domestic market, In Charge U Nay Win Soe of the Ayeyar Trade Centre told the CNI.
He said, "Pigeon peas is fetching higher prices becase of the rising prices in the Indian market. First, pigeon pea prices in India fell and rose again two or three days ago. Although newly harvested pigeon peas have entered the market, prices are rising due to increased prices in India. Pigeon pea prices have risen to MMK 71,000 per basket today. Moreover, yields not only of pigeon pea but also of other pulses and beans dropped this year because of high cultivation costs. So, farmers were not able to grow pulses and beans as extensively as previous years. Farmers could not use as much pesticide as previous years. Mung yields dropped from 750,000 tons previously to about 600,000 tons this year."
Myanmar pulses and beans.
Pigeon pea prices rose from MMK 50,000 per basket to MMK 70,000 per basket this year while prices of mung increased from MMK 50,000 per basket to MMK 60,000 this year.
Mung and pigeon pea are mainly exported to India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
As farmers could not use inputs sufficiently due to rising input costs, crop yields have dropped this year.
However, farmers are not as profitable as expected despite rising pulses and beans prices due to higher costs of labour and inputs, U Tin Aung Cho, a pulse and bean farmer from Hinthada in Ayeyarwady Region, told the CNI.
Myanmar pulses and beans.
He said, "It is not profitable for us as expected because of higher costs for labour and inputs. Costs for harvesting and inputs like fertilizer and pesticide are higher than the previous year. The situation doesn't make a difference for us. We do not have other jobs and we will have to continue to grow crops whether crop prices are higher or lower or whether input costs are higher or lower."
At present, newly harvested mung, pigeon pea and green gram are entering the market and India is exporting more pulses and beans from Myanmar due to poor harvests there.
Pulses and bean merchants predicted that the prices of pulses and beans are likely to remain higher.
-
