Chickpea prices have soared 44 percent in the past year to reach an all-time high in India, says Agrimoney. India is the world’s largest consumer of chickpeas but the pulse is in short supply because of drought.
“And soaring prices are even prompting discussion of a total ban on trading in the staple foodstuff,” said Agrimoney, a commodity news site, citing published reports based on comments of an unnamed senior government official. Production is down throughout Asia due to drought worsened by the El Niño weather pattern. Pakistan’s chickpea crop is half the usual size and Burma, usually an exporter, is expected to resort to imports this year for the first time.
Canadian farmers are forecast to devote 3.9 million hectares to pulse crops, such as yellow peas, with an eye on food demand in India. Agrimoney said yellow peas are a popular substitute for chickpeas among Indian consumers.