Chickpea - perspective crop in the crisis time

Source

APK-Inform

2919

 

 

 

 

 

To date the global market is facing a growing interest for Ukrainian chick peas. In the current season the list of the main importers of grain was renewed with Czech Republic, Holland and Germany, meanwhile their prices were acceptable for Ukrainian exporters. On the price tendencies, competition, supplies geography, and also about the prospects for the near future to be told by Director and Co-founder of Eco-Inter Trade Antonina Sklyarenko.

 
Reference

In February, 2014 there was realized the rebranding of Avas-Trade Company working on the market since 2008. To date its name is Ecointer Trade, and its activity is agricultural commodities exports/ imports (grains, pulses, oilseeds). Ecointer Trade Company is supporting business relations on the markets of Asia and Europe and has a great experience on exports to Turkey, Serbia, Holland, Belarus.

 

- Ukrainian chick-peas is still export-oriented crop. Did its supplies geography change in 2014/15 MY? What directions are the most prospective?

Ecointer Trade has been recently on pulses market, but the experience of work in Avastrade Company allows me to analyze the situation in the chick-peas sector. Thus in the current season there is the grain supplies deficit. Despite rather large-scale carry-over stocks in March, 2015 there was no free export volumes. Note in the current season the mentioned list was updated with the European countries, in particular Czech Republic, Holland and Germany which opened their doors for us by duties cancellation and more profitable logistics.

 

- What varieties of chick-peas do you prefer? Is there sufficient supplies of the high-qualitative large-calibre chick-peas on the Ukrainian market in the current season?

Our buyers prefer the large varieties of chick-peas. So the price for it is higher. Ukrainian agrarians have all the possibilities for large-calibre chick-peas production. The soil suits perfectly for it. However in Ukraine there always have been problems with seed-fund.

The most popular variants are Jordan, Budjak and Triumph. But this season the number of chick-peas supplies was limited due to the nearly half of large-calibre pulse was produced in the Crimea, where the soil and climate are perfect for it.

 

- How did the price situation change in the season under the conditions of the exchange market? What conditions were for chick-peas realization?

Chick-peas is the popular niche crop and in the end of the season its price doubles. We have been watching it in the recent 5 years.

 

 

 

- How competitive is the chick-peas on the global market? As you know Russia has always been the main competitor of Ukraine, is it still the one in the current season?

There is a good demand for Ukrainian chick-peas. I had the chance to become aware of it during the visit of exhibition in Dubai where the thousands of producers, buyers, sellers and processors meet. This year Ukraine has been provided with a chance to present its own chick-peas. I should note that the interest of visitors was rather high during the days of the event.

Russian commodities are still the main competitor of Ukrainian chick-peas on the global market. In the current season the offer prices have been within 400-440 USD/t FOB, meanwhile in Ukraine – 430-470 USD/t FOB. Meanwhile Ukrainian product quality is higher than the Russian one. Besides, India and Canada also sell high-qualitative chick-peas on the global market at rather competitive prices.

 

- Is it possible to say that the agricultural producers have reached the new level of chick-peas production?

On the current level the Ukrainian farmers have mastered the technique of production of chick-peas, lens and chickasano pea. We used to held the Conferences and seminars on behalf of members of the Community of pulses producers of Ukraine where it was told about the features of the production and treatment of the mentioned crops.

Still note in Ukraine there is the shortage of seed grain which would be able to satisfy the current demand for chick-peas.

 

- What will be the second half of the season for the Ukrainian chick-peas market?

In the conditions of the foreign currency exchange instability it is rather difficult to make any forecast for the future. But I think by the end of the season the price to remain stable, it is already too high. Meanwhile demand will be active. The prospective export directions will be European and Arabian countries, which offer prices are profitable for the Ukrainian producers.

 

Interviewed by Julya Shatravka

 

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