Indian chickpea woes unlikely to benefit Canadian yellow pea
Dried Common Pea
Dried Chickpea
Canada
India
Published Apr 13, 2021
Tridge summary
India’s chickpea crop is going to be much smaller than the government is forecasting but that is unlikely to reopen the door to Canadian yellow pea exports to that market, according to an industry analyst. IGrain India is forecasting a crop of eight to 8.5 million tonnes. That is a far cry from the official government estimate of 11.6 million tonnes. “There are crop issues throughout India, with the exception of one or two states,” IGrain director Rahul Chauhan said in an email.
Original content
If IGrain is correct, it would be the smallest crop since the 7.1 million tonnes produced in 2015-16 and well below the five-year average of 9.8 million tonnes. The desi chickpea market in India appears to be reflecting a short crop. Prices have been on the rise since the start of 2021. Meanwhile, yellow pea prices are trending down. India’s short crop could have ramifications for Canadian pea producers. Imported yellow peas can be used as a substitute for Indian desi chickpeas in years when there are supply issues. “(The) government may have to consider allowing pea imports or reducing the tariff on (chickpeas) to balance supply-demand,” said Chauhan. But he doesn’t think the former option is likely to happen for the current fiscal year for political reasons. Imported peas have in the past been used as an “adulteration” in chickpea flour. “People prefer consuming 100 percent pure (chickpea) flour rather than adulterated,” said Chauhan. Yellow pea imports have contributed to an ...
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