Myanmar’s export earnings in pulses surpass over US$330 mln in Q1

Myanmar shipped a total of 424,187.707 tonnes of pulses, with an estimated value of $333.463 million, to foreign countries in the Q1 of the current financial year 2023-2024, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The pulses exports by seaborne trade amounted to $284.497 million (369,237.669 tonnes), whereas 54,950.038 tonnes of pulses worth $48.966 million were sent to the neighbouring countries through land border between 1 April and 30 June 2023.
Myanmar’s pulses exports crossed over US$1.4 billion from over 1.9 million tonnes in the past financial year 2022-2023, the Ministry of Commerce’s statistics indicated.
Myanmar primarily exports black gram, green gram and pigeon peas to foreign markets. Of them, black gram and pigeon peas are mostly conveyed to India while green grams are shipped 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 also entitled to deliver the pulses to India under that annual quota.
The prevailing prices are K2.205 million per tonne of black gram (urad) and K3.15 million per tonne of pigeon pea (tur).
Last 14 June, the price of pigeon peas hit a record high of K3.33 million per tonne. The black gram price peaked at K2.461 million per tonne on 14 June.
Black gram that India primarily purchases are commonly found only in Myanmar, whereas pigeon peas, green gram and chickpeas are grown in African countries and Australia, Myanmar Pulses, Beans, Maize and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association. — NN/EM