Pigeon pea exports fly the coop

Farmers, transporters, warehouse
operators and shipping
companies have been hard hit by
an Indian government decision not
to honour an agreement to import
pigeon peas from Mozambique.
The decision to halt imports of
what is known as “dal” in India will
see over 300 tons of pigeon peas
grown in the northern Mozambican
districts of Ancuabe, Montpuez,
Chiure and Balama potentially
rotting away.
Farmers planted pigeon peas
after a bilateral deal was signed
between the Mozambican and
Indian governments.
Indian authorities rerated the
crop from the “free” to “restricted”
in August this year.
New rules state that only
200 000 tons of pigeon peas can be
imported in any one fiscal year.
The farm price of pigeon peas
has fallen from 60 meticais (about
one US dollar) a kilo to as low as 10
meticais a kilo.