Myanmar’s pulse exports surge, crossing US$770 mln in 6.5 months

Myanmar shipped more than 930,000 tonnes of pulses, with an estimated value of over US$778 million, to foreign trade partners over the past six and a half months of the current 2023-2024 financial year, the Ministry of Commerce’s statistics indicated.
The value of pulses exports by seaborne trade hit $663.741 million (over 798,819 tonnes), whereas over 133,758 tonnes of pulses worth $114.687 million were sent to the neighbouring countries through land borders between 1 April and 20 October 2023, totalling $778.428 million from exports of over 932,577 tonnes.
Myanmar’s pulses exports swelled by over US$1.47 billion from over 1.9 million tonnes in the previous FY2022-2023, the Ministry of Commerce’s statistics indicated.
Myanmar mainly exports black grams, green grams and pigeon peas to foreign markets. Of them, 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 grams 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.
The prevailing market prices are K2.918 million per tonne of black gram (urad) and K4.075 million per tonne of pigeon pea (tur). 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, according to the Myanmar Pulses, Beans, Maize and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association. — NN/EM