Dried shelled pigeon peas market in Asia

Earlier Report Observations

Production of dried shelled pigeon peas in India grew from 3,691 thousand tons in 2018 to 4,655 thousand tons in 2020. This expansion was driven by government policies restricting imports to protect domestic farmers and support mechanisms such as the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and National Food Security Mission (NFSM), which incentivized increased cultivation and output.

After peaking in 2020, production fell to 4,561 thousand tons in 2021 and further to 3,639 thousand tons in 2022, reducing the market volume from 4,675 thousand tons to 3,547 thousand tons. Despite high consumer demand for split cotyledons (dahl) as a vegan staple, domestic supply contracted during this period.

Output partially recovered to 3,730 thousand tons in 2023, with market volume reaching 3,601 thousand tons. The government extended duty-free imports, notably from Mozambique under a bilateral agreement, to stabilize supply while investing in new breeding protocols to develop climate-resilient varieties. In 2024, an import cap of 200 thousand tons was introduced to regulate inbound volumes.

Production dried shelled pigeon peas in Asia

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of dried shelled pigeon peas, 2017-2020

World map of production of dried shelled pigeon peas, 2017-2020

Asia's production of dried shelled pigeon peas has grown for the second year in a row. In 2020, the region produced 4 655 thousand tonnes, marking a modest 9.3% increase from the previous year. Looking at the period from 2017 to 2020, overall production declined by 4.3%, which translates to an average annual decrease of 1.4%. The lowest output was recorded in 2018 at 3 691 thousand tonnes, when production fell by 24.1%—the steepest drop in the period. In contrast, 2019 saw the largest increase, with production rising by 15.3%.

Annual dynamics of production in Asia in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Exports dried shelled pigeon peas from Asia

Exports in kind, t

Export volumes showed significant fluctuations during this period. The lowest point was in 2019 at 273 tonnes, while the peak occurred in 2020 at 5 363 tonnes—a dramatic 1,865.9% surge compared to the year before. This represents a 20-fold difference between the two years. The sharpest decline was recorded in 2018, when exports dropped by 67.6%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Asia in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and the United States remained the top buyers of dried shelled pigeon peas from Asia. Canada accounted for 1.9% of exports in volume, the Dominican Republic for 1.0%, and the United States for 0.8%. Together, these three markets represented 3.8% of Asia's total exports by volume.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Asia in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Export values displayed an unstable trend over the timeframe. The lowest point was in 2019 at 5 438 thousand US dollars, while the peak was in 2017. By 2020, exports reached 6 002 thousand US dollars, a 10.4% increase from the previous year. The difference between the peak in 2017 and the trough in 2019 was 10.1 times. The most significant decline occurred in 2018, with a drop of 80.9%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Asia in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, Canada, the United States, and the Dominican Republic continued to be the leading buyers of dried shelled pigeon peas from Asia in value terms. Canada held a 4.1% share of export value, the United States 1.7%, and the Dominican Republic 1.5%. Collectively, these three countries made up 7.3% of Asia's total export value.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Asia in value, 2017-2020

Imports dried shelled pigeon peas to Asia

Imports in kind, t

Import volumes experienced irregular changes, reflecting a volatile market. The lowest level was in 2019 at 8 147 tonnes, while the peak was in 2020 at 26 124 tonnes—a substantial 220.7% increase from the previous year. This resulted in a 3.2-fold difference between these two years. The largest decline was recorded in 2019, with a drop of 47.9%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Asia in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, the import structure by volume was highly diversified. Tanzania led with 27.8% of imports, followed by Sudan at 5.8% and Ethiopia at 5.5%. Together, these three countries accounted for 39.1% of total import volumes, while a long tail of smaller markets made up the remaining 60.9%.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Asia in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

After two years of contraction, Asia's imports of dried shelled pigeon peas rebounded in 2020. Import value totaled 23 001 thousand US dollars, a sharp 68.5% increase from the prior year. The lowest point was in 2019 at 13 648 thousand US dollars, when imports fell by 28.6%—the largest decline in the period.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Asia in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, Tanzania, Malawi, and Ethiopia played notable but not dominant roles as suppliers of dried shelled pigeon peas to Asia in value terms. Tanzania accounted for 18.0% of import value, Malawi for 5.7%, and Ethiopia for 5.2%. Their combined share reached 28.8% of total import value.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Asia in value, 2017-2020