The Philippines is expected to import more pulses and other leguminous vegetables by five to seven percent annually in the next five years, according to a report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The report dated March 2, 2023, said the country imports mung beans, green beans, chick peas, sweet peas and other types of beans.
The report cited the Philippines’ growing reliance on imports, rising prices of animal-sourced protein and a growing trend toward plant-based foods as key drivers of the growth.
The USDA said Philippine imports of pulses and other leguminous vegetables in various formats including dry, frozen, flour and prepared foods, reached $88 million in 2022 with the United States supplying a tenth of total imports and ranked as third largest supplier after Asean and Canada.
The agency said as of end-2022, the Philippines sourced 50,000 metric tons (MT) of mung beans worth $40 million; 61,500 MT of peas, $34 million; 13,000 MT of other dry leguminous vegetables including kidney beans, chickpeas and broad beans,$9 million; 3,900 MT of prepared beans, chickpeas and peas, $4 million; 1,830 MT of frozen leguminous vegetables mostly peas, $2 million; and 5.5 MT of chickpea flour, $7,000.
Philippine production of leguminous vegetables declined over the past five years to 166,600 MT, at a compound annual growth rate of 1 percent.
Locally-produced pulses at 42,000 MT accounted for only 27 percent of the country’s requirement in the period with the remaining 73 percent or 116,500 MT fulfilled by imported pulses.
The USDA said this is an opportunity for importers to supply the Philippines with pulses and other leguminous vegetables especially with the popularity of plant-based chicharon in the country; the “relatively high consumption” of munggo due to tradition; the growing use of pulses as extenders for dishes; and the use of pulses in local desserts especially for halo-halo.
The report also said the growing interest among Filipinos in plant-based foods and the expanding local vegan and vegetarian movements, support the higher demand for such products. -J. Macapagal
