Pigeon pea prices shoot up

Monday, 28 December 2009 22:37 Kyaw Kha

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - With India buying Toor (pigeon peas) from Burma, the price of the bean and its export rate are on the upswing, said the Burma Beans and Pulses Traders Association.

Production of crops declined given the bad weather in India and it began importing Burmese beans and pulses pushing up the price of pigeon peas, it is learnt.

The prevailing buying price of the bean is Kyat 905,000 (about USD 950) per ton while the export price in over USD 1,000 per ton.

Earlier, Burma exported this variety of bean at just USD 400 per ton, while the domestic buying price was just Kyat 350,000.

“Last year’s output of the bean accounting for about 250,000 tons has been sold out. This year the production fell and with the demand from India growing higher the price has gone up,” a member of the Association told Mizzima.

In Burma also, due to bad weather, the production of pigeon beans dropped by 40 per cent. This year the export price is the highest ever in three decades, it is learnt.

In Burma, pigeon pea is grown in Magwe, Natmauk, Aunglan, Pyi, Pakokku, Chauk, Yenanchaung, Kyaukpadaung, Sagaing, Monywa and Shwebo regions between January and March. The harvesting season starts in November.

A farmer in Hnawkan village, Natmauk Township, Magwe Division said that they got a good price this year.

“We sold our beans in Kyaukpadaung town and the current price is Kyat 30,000 per basket, a record high. Last year’s price was just Kyat 12,000. The farmers in our village are earning good money this year and can make offerings to monks in pagodas,” he said.

Pigeon beans produced around Pyi namely Aunglan, Sinpaungwe and Magwe are being bought by traders from Rangoon on advance payment, a bean and pulse brokerage firm owner from Pyi city said.

Before the price shot up, a total of 400,000 tons of beans were exported from January to October and the export value was over USD 210 million. A total of 240,000 tons of beans and pulses were exported during January to October in 2008 raking in about USD 120 million, an association official said.

About 300 Burmese companies are exporting beans and pulses to India and about 20 Indian companies are buying it, the official said.

(Edited by Ko Wild)