KARACHI, June 22: Pulses millers and wholesale grocers have again sought a ban on the export of desi chic peas (gram whole), especially to India in order to control the price hike during Ramazan. They feel that there is no harm in continuing export of desi chic peas split (daal chana).
The pulses millers and the Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA) held a meeting the other day to review the market situation and future demand arising from India which still requires 500,000-600,000 tons of desi chic peas owing to low crop output there.
Adviser to KWGA Anis Majeed told Dawn that the millers and grocers had sought a ban on the export of desi chic peas a month ago but the government had not responded to their demand. They again meet on Thursday (today) and will send a reminder to the prime minister and the commerce minister, requesting them to impose the ban.
There are possibilities of over export in case a ban is not imposed, as traders will try to send excess quantities to India, even from the local consumption. This situation will create problems during Ramazan, resulting in price hike because of shortage of the commodity in the market. On the other hand, Pakistan will have to import desi chic peas from Australia at $385 per ton.
He said market players had shipped around 25,000 tons of desi chic peas (both split and whole) at an average rate of $300 per ton to India, majority of the quantity being desi chic peas (whole). Because of a bumper crop of one million tons this year, Pakistan has an exportable surplus of 200,000-300,000 tons after leaving a sizable quantity for the local consumption.
Mr Majeed said the export of desi chic peas in split form would create employment and flourish the industry, besides helping in value addition.
He claimed that the millers of Punjab, especially from the producing areas like Sargodha and Multan, had also made a similar request to the government.
A pulses dealer said the harvesting of gram crop started from mid-April till end-May. During that period, the price of the commodity came down to around Rs14.25 per kg and by the end of May, it reached to Rs18, showing an increase of Rs4 per kg within just 10-15 days, and since then it keeps moving, trading at Rs21 per kg now. The price is expected to rise to Rs22 per kg by the end of June.
Taking an advantage of increase of Rs8 per kg in just one month or just 15 days of completion of harvesting, the traders have exported 25,000 tons till now, with the same quantity still on contracts, he adds.
Sources said like the previous years, some vested interests had become active in the market by piling up stocks in order to create an artificial rise in prices. Unlike the last year, the country this year does not have good crops of lentils and moong, hence all focus of pulses traders and exporters have been shifted to the desi (gram) crop because of good weather and extra sowing acreage.
A market trader said there were doubts about the actual availability or estimated quantities of gram. “The government should either suspend the export till Ramazan or carry out an enquiry about the sudden rise in gram prices.
