A Global Chickpea Shortage is Looming, Industry Warns
Global chickpea shortage is threatening to drive up hummus prices this year.
© Shutterstock
Global chickpea shortage is threatening to drive up hummus prices this year.
© Shutterstock
According to Reuters, chickpea crop yields are anticipated to drop as much as 20 percent this year, due to weather conditions and war. In the United States, currently the 4th largest chickpea exporter worldwide, drought limits chickpea production; while flooded fields and the root disease PRR make it difficult to farm in Australia.
Meanwhile, EU sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine have interrupted shipments of chickpeas from Russia, which accounts for 25 percent of global trade, according to The Guardian.
“When the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, the demand boomed,” said Jeff Van Pevenage, chief executive officer of Columbia Grain International, a grain and pulse trader, headquartered in Portland, Oregon. “We saw strong demand from China, then it was calls from customers in Pakistan and Bangladesh,” quoted Reuters. Shipping and transportation problems have also impacted the global supply of chickpeas, making it increasingly difficult to find them in many supermarkets.
Chickpeas are a staple food in many parts of the world, including Mexico and India. They are also the base for hummus, a popular Middle Eastern dip and spread. It is uncertain if chickpea stocks will be replenished anytime soon, but the price of a range of hummus products in the leading British supermarkets has risen significantly since January.
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