Despite the continuous influx of new green gram into the market, the price remains high due to ongoing foreign exports, according to Mandalay’s bean and pulses market.
At the Mandalay beans and pulses market, the cost of a tonne of green gram from upper Myanmar (new harvest) was K1.83 million on 1 January. However, the price has surged to K1.99 million – a K150,000 rise in three weeks.
China continues to be the primary foreign buyer of green gram, which is also exported to India, the Netherlands, Ireland, the UK, and Germany through shipping and border posts.
From 1 April 2023 to 12 January 2024, more than 310,000 tonnes of green gram exports generated US$213.6 million. The Ministry of Commerce expects to export 600,000 tonnes of green gram in four separate batches in the financial year 2023-24.
Myanmar’s green gram is in demand in Europe, with an annual export volume exceeding 8,000 tonnes. Given the broad market appeal of the product, ten companies have received orders this year.
In 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation and the Ministry of Commerce reached an agreement to export green grams used in the production of bean sprouts to Europe. — NN/NT
