It’s an integral part of Indian cuisine, particularly in north India. While India is the biggest producer of chickpeas in the world, it is also its biggest importer. And with government policies still focused on just basic cereals, importing chickpeas is not only a lasting but also a lucrative business proposition
Maybe you too are one of those who fancies the taste of deep fried ‘pakodas’ once the rain pays you a flying visit or when raindrops kiss your window panes ever so softly. Perhaps, it is what makes the rain all the more welcoming, at least in India! Though you may think it to be just another humble and hot snack, chances are that the chickpeas used for preparing the besan – the main ingredient of the very Indian pakodas – have their origin in Australia or Russia. A quick check on the facts and you would be surprised to know that besides being the largest producer and consumer of chickpeas in the world, India is also the largest importer of Desi chickpeas, or kala chana, sourced from countries like Australia and Russia.
It’s the versatility of these beans that makes them ubiquitous in a wide variety of foods and cuisines. Finding its origin, as far back as 7,500 years, in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, chickpea – also known as Garbanzo bean, Bengal gram, Chi-chi beans or Egyptian pea – has spread its culinary influence throughout the world. Today, it is a prominent feature in Greek, Italian, Middle Eastern, Spanish, Portuguese and Indian cuisines. In fact, some of the more popular Arabic recipes, consumed across the world including India, have dishes (such as hummus, falafels and curries) that make use of this ingredient lavishly. The importance and popularity of this legume can be gauged from the fact that every year, May 13 is celebrated the world over as International Hummus Day. Hummus – a popular Middle Eastern dip which essentially has an appearance of a thick gooey creamy paste and serves up as a healthy delight for the taste buds – has chickpeas as its main ingredient.
Chickpeas can be broadly categorised into two distinct types – Kabuli and Desi. While the Kabuli variety is lighter in colour, smoother in coating and larger in size, the Desi variety, also known as ‘kala chana’, has a rough coat and are smaller and darker seeds. As far as consumption is concerned, Desi chickpeas are the largest produced and consumed pulses in India. [As per Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES) data, in FY2014-15, chickpeas accounted for 44.92% of the total pulses production in India.] “India’s annual requirement for Desi chickpeas is around 8-9 million metric tonnes (MMT), whereas the production is around 7 MMT. And this demand-supply gap is fulfilled through imports,” says Bimal Kothari, Vice Chairman of India Pulses & Grains Association (IPGA).
Kabuli chickpeas, on the other hand, is not as widely consumed as Desi chickpeas and its consumption is restricted mostly to northern India, and that too within certain sections of the population. Interestingly, India produces around 6 lakh tonne of Kabuli chickpeas every year against an annual demand of 3 lakh tonne – a reason enough for it being the only pulses allowed to be exported out of India.
One reason why the demand for Desi chickpeas is far higher than Kabuli is that the Desi variety is used for production of besan (chickpea flour), a product that has multiple uses in Indian households as against the Kabuli chana, which is mostly consumed as whole seed or combined with other dishes.
Even in terms of nutritious value, chickpeas, or what is more colloquially referred to as chana, boast of offering a wide range of benefits such as aiding digestion and regulating blood sugar levels among others. Besides being a gluten-free source of protein and fiber, they also contain high levels of iron, vitamin B-6, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. Further, it also stands out as a food that is moderate in terms of calories, for a 100 gram serving of cooked chickpeas offer about 160 kilocalories. It's because of this reason chickpeas are now increasingly being consumed as a healthy food item across Indian households, particularly among vegetarians. “Chana dal is consumed quite regularly in our house and it is tasty as well. It has some wonderful properties as a bean that makes my husband’s diet rich in fibre and at the same time healthy too,” avers a Delhi-based housewife Rachna Seth. She makes it a point to include desi chana in her household budget every month as her husband is a diabetic.
This trend is also reflected in more importers sourcing Desi varieties into India. “Indian consumers are increasingly moving towards healthier food options. Chickpeas have a lot of fibre and are good for vegetarians as they are rich in protein. It keeps one's weight in check and boosts iron levels as well. We started importing chickpeas last year and the demand for the product has been better than the green peas so far. We are now trying to increase our supplies to meet this demand,” an importer, who did not wish to be named, tells the magazine.
If this is what the situation is, then why is it that India, despite being a major producer of Desi chickpeas, continues to depend on imports? Why not increase the domestic yield? Dr. J. S. Sandhu, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) offers an insight. He says that in FY2014, India’s total pulses production was about 19.25 MMT, of which, chickpeas’ share was about 50% i.e. around 10 MMT. “Chickpeas harvest was so good that their prices in the open market fell to about Rs.2,400-2,500 per quintal, while the MSP set by the government was Rs.3,100 per quintal! If prices fall below the MSP, there remains little incentive for the farmer to cultivate it. Hence they are getting discouraged and reducing the total area under cultivation,” says Dr. Sandhu.
"Chickpeas Account For About 45% Of The Total Pulses Production."
Further, the harvesting season for chana differs from country to country, based on the climatic conditions. While in India the harvesting period is March-April, in Australia it is October-November. So while chana in India is mostly grown in Rabi season (winter), its consumption is spread throughout the year. Typically, during the festive season, the usage of besan is also higher as the product is used extensively for making different varieties of sweets. “Desi chickpeas have a pan-India demand and is a staple food all through the year. Imports from Australia are to bridge the supply-demand gap and help maintain a steady supply of Desi chickpeas to Indian consumers,” adds Kothari of IPGA.
Desi chickpeas are mostly consumed in split form or in the form of flour in India. And if one goes by the government data, its consumption is only increasing by each day, while its domestic production remains stagnant. This presents an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs to explore imports of chickpeas as a viable business option and capitalise on it in the years to come. What’s more? Industry experts are of the view that the scarce monsoons will further affect its production in India in the near future, and the country will have to rely on imports to meet the ever-rising demand for Desi chickpeas. Canada based AGT, one of the biggest suppliers of pulses in the world, had stated a few months back that India’s imports of the crop is expected to remain high in the coming year due to deficient monsoons. “Indian chickpeas production in particular may fall by as much as 20%, likely resulting in continued strong import volumes,” stated a report from AGT. This too makes a strong case for chickpeas imports and indicates prosperous times for those importing it! Are you one of them?
This year the production of Desi chickpeas is expected to be around 7 million tonnes against the demand of 9 million tonnes.