EAGC to help farmers access Sh400bn India pulses market

The East Africa Grain Council (EAGC) will help small-scale farmers access India’s Sh400 billion pulses market. EAGC has said New Delhi is looking to import about four million metric tonnes of pulses yearly to meet the rising demand.

The grain industry umbrella group said the project will enable smallholder farmers in the region export beans, chickpeas, cowpeas, lentils, lupins, pigeon peas vegetables and other pulses to India.

Under the Supporting India Trade and Investments with Africa (Sita) programme, Kenyan farmers will get financial and technical support as well as reduction of tariff barriers over a three-year period.

“Through the Sita programme, EAGC members in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, who include grain and pulses producers, traders and processors, will be supported to produce and export to India,” said the lobby.

EAGC and the Indian government are still in discussion on how much financial assistance will be given.

The lobby and the International Trade Centre are implementing the project. The growing Indian population, made up mostly of vegetarians, has created strong demand for pulses which cannot be met by local farmers.

“India is the biggest producer, consumer and importer of pulses in the world. Pulses are the major source of protein for vegetarian Indians, and protein content in most of the pulses is more than one-fifth by their weight,” said Indian High Commissioner to Kenya Yogeshwar Varma.

The EAGC said that regional farmers will have easier access to the lucrative market than Kenyans due to lower tariff barriers. “Tanzania and Uganda have duty-free access to India that Kenya does not have,” said the EAGC in a statement.