Bangladesh chickpea prices rise as supply concerns build ahead of Ramadan

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Bangladesh chickpea prices rise

Highlights

Chickpea prices in Khatunganj rose to Tk3,700-3,750 per maund from Tk2,900-3,000 two months earlier, with Australian booking rates reaching $850 per tonne before easing.
Bangladesh's chickpea imports through Chattogram port totaled 227,355 tonnes in FY26, up from 226,000 tonnes in FY25, with January 2026 alone seeing 79,771 tonnes ahead of Ramadan.
Australia's chickpea production is projected to drop 52% to just over one million tonnes in FY27, increasing supply risk amid rising Ramadan demand and weak domestic market monitoring.

Import volumes and pricing pressure

As reported by The Business Standard, traders and consumer groups are giving competing explanations for the recent rise in chickpea prices, with wholesalers pointing to higher Australian booking rates and consumers alleging hoarding ahead of Ramadan.

A visit to Khatunganj finds chickpeas selling at Tk3,700-3,750 per maund, or 37.32 kg, up from Tk2,900-3,000 two months earlier. Paritosh Dey, general secretary of the Khatunganj Chickpea Traders and Pulses Traders Association, says booking rates for Australian chickpeas rose to as much as $850 per tonne before easing to $820-830, compared with $650-680 previously.

He says the lower-priced shipments came from the previous crop and that the market is now relying largely on old stocks. He adds that prices could soften when supplies from the new harvest arrive, while higher imports from India could also help ease pressure on the domestic market.

Data from the Plant Quarantine Centre in Chattogram shows Bangladesh imported 227,355 tonnes of chickpeas through Chattogram port in FY26, compared with 226,000 tonnes in FY25. Imports in July and August 2026 totalled 17,177 tonnes, up from 1,381 tonnes in the same period of 2025, while imports between November 2025 and January 2026 reached 178,792 tonnes ahead of Ramadan, with January alone accounting for 79,771 tonnes.

Ramadan demand and market monitoring concerns

Traders estimate monthly chickpea demand at 10,000-12,000 tonnes under normal conditions, rising to 80,000-100,000 tonnes during Ramadan, with annual demand at about 220,000-230,000 tonnes. At Dhaka's Khilgaon kitchen market, chickpeas were selling for Tk100-110 per kg last week.

SM Nazer Hossain, vice-president of the central committee of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, says authorities should review stock levels, importers' sales records and distribution channels to determine whether artificial shortages or coordinated market activity are pushing prices higher. He says weak market monitoring often allows gradual price increases to continue and warns that prices could rise further by Ramadan without quick intervention.

External supply risks are also adding to uncertainty. A report by Australian broadcaster ABC, citing the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, says Australia's chickpea production could fall 52% to slightly above one million tonnes in FY27 because of lower cultivation and weaker yields in key regions, while supply-chain disruption and below-normal rainfall in parts of India could also affect the market.

Mohammad Mohiuddin, general secretary of the Chaktai-Khatunganj Aratdar General Traders Welfare Association, says higher Australian booking rates are affecting domestic prices, although there is no major supply shortage at present. Mohammad Faiz Ullah, deputy director of the Chattogram divisional office of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, says the agency will verify the issue and take action if needed.

In our earlier article on the Strait of Hormuz shipping disruption, we explained that prolonged logistics uncertainty is already affecting harvests through higher fuel and transport costs, reduced fertilizer use, and more cautious planting decisions. We also noted that these pressures can lift agricultural commodity prices for multiple quarters, raising food security risks for import-dependent countries in Asia and Africa.

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