Mawlamyine, Decmeber (15)
Black gram prices in Mon State have skyrocketed again due to increased demand from India, the beans and pulses traders told Than Lwin Times.
The price of black gram increased to around 58,000 kyats per basket on December 14 compared to 55,000 kyats per basket of (20 viss) in the first week of December.
As it is now the bean season, the price has risen by more than 20,000 kyats per basket compared to the price in March.
A bean trader said that despite the increased price, there are no more beans left in the market at the time of the growing season.
Despite the price hike, a bean merchant claimed that the market was completely out of beans during the growing season.
Local black gram is grown as a winter crop following the rainfed rice season, so some traders only have a few black gram left.
According to bean suppliers, new beans will be available during the upcoming bean season, and the price may drop again.
But farmers have been hit by high input and overhead costs while growing black gram and say that the price hike is not beneficial to them when they don’t have enough black gram stock on hand.
India and China mainly purchase black gram and other beans from Myanmar, while Pakistan, Nepal, Singapore and Thailand also import Myanmar beans and pulses.
In Mon State, black bean, green bean, soybean, and green gram (Shwe Wah) are mainly grown; there are more than 170,000 acres of cultivated land, and around 20,000 tons of green bean and other pulses are produced every year.
News-Than Lwin Times
