Dodoma/Dar es Salaam. Fresh hope has emerged for Tanzanian pigeon pea farmers as the government engages in talks with India to secure a major market for the crop. The price of pigeon peas has sharply declined in recent seasons, primarily due to falling international prices driven by abundant supply.
Sources indicate that global prices have dropped significantly from $1.60 per kilogram last year to between $0.60 and $0.75 currently.
Despite this decline, Tanzanian farmers benefited last year by earning about 75 percent of the price that pigeon peas fetched in India, which ranged from Sh950 to Sh1,200 per kilogram.
However, the latest data from the Tanzania Mercantile Exchange Plc website shows that the prices for pigeon peas in nearly 16 growing regions for September and October 2025 have further plummeted to an average of Sh670 to Sh1,030 per kilogram.
Yesterday, a statement dated Wednesday, October 8, 2025, issued by the Director-General of the Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA), Ms Irene Mlola, showed that there were ongoing talks between Tanzania and India over pigeon pea trade.
The Indian market remains a lifeline for Tanzanian pigeon peas; however, the crop is one of the most volatile globally, relying heavily on a single buyer, India.
According to Ms Mlola, discussions between the two sides were initiated during a working visit to New Delhi, where a Tanzanian delegation attended the World Food India 2025 exhibition.
She said Tanzania is projected to produce over 400,000 tonnes of pigeon peas this season and that the government is working to secure a reliable market to support farmers and guarantee better returns.
“The negotiations aim to enable India to purchase Tanzania’s pigeon peas directly for its national food reserves, thereby contributing to that country’s food security,” she said, stressing India remains Tanzania’s largest export destination for the crop.
“I commend farmers for their continued hard work. Our country ranks second globally in pigeon pea production, and last season Tanzania exported about 350,000 tonnes of the crop to India,” she said.
Tanzania’s High Commissioner to India, Ms Anisa Mbega, said the current talks build on the groundwork laid by President Samia Suluhu Hassan during her state visit to India in October 2023.
“During the visit, President Samia held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which both leaders strengthened bilateral trade ties,” Ms Mbega was quoted in a statement.
Trade volume between Tanzania and India has since grown, reaching $8.6 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, according to official data.
With the latest engagement, Tanzania hopes not only to ensure better prices for its farmers but also to consolidate long-term trade relations with India in the agricultural sector.
Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, contained in the 2025/26 Fiscal Year Budget, show that 441,590.56 tonnes of pigeon peas were exported between the 2021/22 and 2023/24 seasons.
Statistics show the country earned a staggering Sh1.395 trillion in the said seasons: Sh445.64 billion (2021/22), Sh334.17 billion (2022/23), and Sh615.32 billion (2023/24).
Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX) Chief Executive Officer, Mr Godfrey Malekano, was recently quoted by local media as saying plans were afoot to establish a storage facility to warehouse the crop during global surpluses and sell when demand is high, to mitigate price fluctuations, protect farmers, and avoid being mere price takers.
He said India’s recent decision to extend duty-free pigeon pea imports to next March marks a major development in the global pulses market, aimed at addressing domestic supply shortages.
“The recent plunge in pigeon pea prices has affected not only local farmers but also export traders, who are struggling with lower prices in the Indian market, even as TMX quotes remain above Indian levels,” he said.
He added that the government was gradually adjusting prices in line with global market trends to prevent traders from exploiting farmers.
“Our focus is on ensuring fair value for producers while responding to international price movements,” he said.
Current prices regionally
According to the TMX market, the following is the average price range per kilogramme and respective growing regions in brackets for September and October, respectively: Sh910-Sh910 (Tabora); Sh670-Sh670 (Katavi); Sh730-Sh760 (Coast); Sh700-Sh700 (Kigoma); Sh700-Sh770 (Mtwara); Sh680-Sh800 (Lindi); Sh850-Sh860 (Morogoro); Sh680-Sh840 (Ruvuma) and Sh770-Sh800 (Tanga).
Pigeon peas are nutritious, providing high levels of protein, dietary fibre, and essential vitamins and minerals such as thiamine, folate, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.
A 100-gramme serving of cooked pigeon peas contains about 203 calories, 39 grammes of carbohydrates, 11 grammes of fibre, and 11 grammes of protein.
The seeds are particularly rich in minerals such as copper and manganese, which contribute to cardiovascular health and blood sugar stability.
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