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Hummus fans braced for price rises after 20% fall in global chickpea production
Russia and Ukraine are top producers of the versatile legume
July 11, 2022 11:26
Russia and Ukraine are top producers of the versatile legume
July 11, 2022 11:26Producers of Middle Eastern staples are on high alert after worrying reports suggested that the global stock of chickpeas could drop by as much as 20% in the coming year.
According to data from lobby group the Global Pulse Confederation, a combination of bad weather and war in Ukraine has lead to dwindling supplies across much of the world and could see the wholesale price of chickpeas spike - leading to increases in the cost of hummus and falafel.
In addition to the shortage of exportable crops in Europe, farmers in the US also chose to plant fewer chickpeas due to uncertain weather in the spring.
Navneet Singh Chhabra, a global chickpea trader told Reuters: "Russia was exporting around 200,000 to 250,000 tonnes, minimum, per year. When the war started in February, the supply was destroyed, totally,"
Chickpeas are a staple food across much of the Middle East and Africa, but in recent years demand has spiked in Europe and the USA as Levantine food gained popularity.
The wholesale price of chickpeas has already risen 17% since the conflict began, with many in the industry predicting this could rise a lot higher.
This news comes as Jewish families face an unprecedented rise in the cost of living with one retailer estimating that the cost of kosher food had increased by as much as 25 per cent this year, or four times the inflation rate for non-kosher food.
Demand on local charities is surging as kosher food prices have rocketed even higher than soaring inflation, which currently stands at nine per cent.