MORE than 1.49 million tonnes of various pulses and beans were exported to foreign markets between 1 October and 18 June of the current financial year 2020-2021, with the estimated value of US$1.117 billion, the Commerce Ministry’s data indicated.

Over the past eight and half months,  the  country  conveyed  $623.8  million  worth  787,857  tonnes  of  pulses  and  beans  to  foreign  markets  through  maritime trade, and $554 million valued 710,673.59 tonnes were sent to  the  neighbouring  countries  through the land border.

Myanmar’s   agriculture   sector  is  the  backbone  of  the  country’s  economy  and  it  contributes  to  over  30  per  cent  of  Gross Domestic Products. The country  primarily  cultivates  paddy, corn, cotton, sugarcane, various  pulses  and  beans.  Its  second-largest production is the pulses  and  beans,  counting  for  33 per cent of agro-products and covering 20 per cent of growing acres. Among them, black beans, pigeon  peas  and  green  grams  constitute  72  per  cent  of  bean  acreage.  Other  beans  including  peanut,  chickpea,  soybean,  black-eyed  beans,  butter  bean  and rice bean are also grown in the country.

India  is  the  main  buyer  of  Myanmar  beans,  especially  black  beans,  green  grams  and  pigeon peas. Besides India, Myanmar’s  beans  are  purchased  by Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, UAE, Malaysia, Indonesia, China (Taipei),  Japan,  and  European  countries.  But,  the  volume  of  demand  by  those  countries  is  small, according to the domestic beans market.

The  bilateral  Memorandum  of  Understanding  (MoU)  between Myanmar and India ensured a strong market next five years,  along  with  other  relaxations on import quota, Myanmar Trade  Promotion  Organization  under the Ministry of Commerce stated.

Myanmar can export 250,000 tonnes of black gram (urad) and 100,000  tonnes  of  pigeon  peas  under  the  G-to-G  (government  to government) pact during the Myanmar ships nearly 1.49 mln tonnes of various pulses as of 18 June April-March period between the 2021-2022 financial year and the 2025-2026 FY. The bilateral negotiations for the G-to-G pact started in 2016 and the two countries signed an MoU on 18 June 2021.

Additionally,  this  G-to-G  pact  will  not  relate  to  India’s  yearly  quota  on  bean  import.  Therefore, Myanmar exporters can ship them under this quota as well.

In May 2021, India’s Minis-try of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare approved not only black gram but also other pulses being imported  from  Myanmar  that  have the bill of lading up to October-end 2021, with relaxations of conditions regarding clearance consignment.

India  experienced  some  damages  to  their  farms  due  to  erratic  weather,  resulting  in  a  yield  drop.  The  demand  in  India has risen amid the impacts of the global pandemic and the low supply. Consequently, India’s ministry gave green light to the relaxations of conditions for imports of pulses from Myanmar.

The  number  of  bean  acreage  is  expected  to  increase  in  the coming season following the relaxations.

Following the policy change of India’s pulses import, the prices  of  black  gram  and  pigeon  peas have risen in the domestic market. The grams are in high demand  at  present,  according  to  the  traders  from  Mandalay  commodity depot.

Strong local demand boosted the price of black gram (urad) to K1,105,000-1,235,000 per tonne on 25 June. Black gram fetched only K880,000 per tonne in April-end. Similarly, the high demand pushed  up  the  price  of  pigeon  peas up to K1,092,500 per tonne on 25 June, Bayintnaung Wholesale Market data showed.

Moreover,  the  green  gram  market  also  raised  its  head  on  the  back  of  steady  demand  by  China, India and other ASEAN countries.

The domestic bean market is positively related to the law of supply and demand, said U Min Ko  Oo,  the  secretary  of  Myanmar Pulses, Beans and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association.

India set an import quota on beans including black gram and pigeon peas starting from 2017. Myanmar earlier had to export black bean and pigeon peas under  the  quota  system  and  limit  period. The local growers were battered by quota and price ma-nipulation in the previous years.

Myanmar  shipped  over  1.6  million tonnes of different varieties of pulses, especially mung beans, with an estimated worth of US$1 billion, to other counties in  the  FY2018-2019.  During  the  last FY2019-2020 ended September 30, the country delivered 1.6 million tonnes with an estimated value of $1.195 billion.

KK/GNLM

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