U Khin Maung Myint, a member of the pulses wholesale centre, underscored the need to stabilise their prices and expand the market.
He said a tonne of mung beans is worth about K1 million (US$660), and a 96-kilogram bag sells for K95,000 at Mandalay Market.
U Khin Maung Myint added that planting hybrid varieties could further increase the yield.
“The prices of white, red and yellow chickpeas have declined in the market because of the entry of green peas from China,” he said. “This resulted in local chick peas being pushed out of the market.”
U Hla Than Win, a leader of a local sugar association, said a flood of foreign sugar on the local market had pushed down the price of sugar. Also, there are sugar storage problems because of foreign sugar, with the start of the local cane harvest only two months away.
The legislators hope to continue the dialogue with local farmers to increase cooperation on improving farmers’ production and livelihoods.
The Mandalay government is implementing a food safety plan to ensure that farm produce is free of dangerous chemicals and meets international standards.
A trader said that to fetch a good price, local produce must be grown organically and supported by the government with good seeds and soft loans. – Translated
