Chickpea supplies could drop by as much as 20% this year, according to the Global Pulse Confederation, as severe weather and the war in Ukraine hit production. Sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine have disrupted shipments from Russia, normally a leading exporter of chickpeas that account for about a quarter of global trade, according to Navneet Singh Chhabra, director of Shree Sheela International, a global chickpea trading company and brokers. Ukraine, meanwhile, was unable to sow its entire chickpea crop because of the war, removing 50,000 tons normally destined for Europe. “Russia exports about 200,000 to 250,000 tons, at least, annually. When the war started in February, the supply was completely destroyed,” Jeff Van Pevenage, chief executive of Columbia Grain International, a grain and pulse trader and supplier based in Portland, Oregon, told Reuters. “When the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, demand increased. We saw strong demand from China and then it was calls from customers in Pakistan and Bangladesh.” Demand is outstripping supplies as South Asian and Mediterranean buyers scramble to pick up stocks dwindling after Turkey banned exports, while yields from Mexico to Australia fell as a result of adverse weather, including flooding. The price of a range of hummus products in major UK supermarkets has risen by up to 100% since January, according to figures provided to the Guardian by research group Assosia. However, the picture is mixed, with some prices remaining unchanged and others increasing by a more modest 6% or 10%. In the US, chickpeas are now 12% more expensive than last year and almost 17% higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to NielsenIQ data seen by Reuters. Chickpeas are a key source of protein in India and the Middle East, where households are already struggling to meet the rising cost of food imports such as wheat. Subscribe to the Business Today daily email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter @BusinessDesk Farmers in the US – the world’s fourth-largest exporter of chickpeas – planted 5% fewer acres this year as bad weather disrupted spring planting and prioritized more profitable commodity crops such as wheat and corn. The nation’s stockpiles are down more than 10 percent from last year, according to the U.S. government, as stocks were already low after devastating droughts from North Dakota to Washington state affected production in 2021. Ole Houe, director of advisory services at agricultural brokerage Ikon Commodities in Sydney, said some Australian farmers may replant. “Part of the planted area is still under water,” said Hu, who added that Australia exports chickpeas mainly to the highest consuming markets of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
