Talks held to boost pulse trade between India and Myanmar

23-Jan-2026 05:28 PM

Yangon. With the objective of strengthening bilateral trade relations with Myanmar, India’s Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Nidhi Khare, held detailed discussions with Myanmar’s Deputy Commerce Minister U Kyaw Min Kyaw in Yangon. During the meeting, special emphasis was laid on expanding trade in agricultural commodities, particularly urad and tur (pigeon pea), between the two countries. Myanmar is the largest exporter of these pulses to India.

The Indian official referred to the five-year agreement signed between the two countries in 2021 and said that India fully honored its commitment to import pulses from Myanmar under this mutually agreed arrangement. As per the agreement, India was to import 250,000 tons of urad and 100,000 tons of tur annually from Myanmar, while actual imports turned out to be significantly higher. This provided considerable relief to Myanmar’s pulse producers and also helped ensure adequate supply and availability of these pulses in India, thereby keeping prices under control. The agreement proved beneficial for both sides and helped maintain a balance between demand and supply in the pulse market.

Bilateral trade between the two countries rose sharply from $1.29 billion in 2020–21 to $2.10 billion during 2024–25. This strong growth in economic partnership between India and Myanmar is considered highly significant.

The five-year agreement governing pulse trade between India and Myanmar is set to expire soon, and discussions are currently underway between the two sides to extend its validity for another five years.