Pigeon Pea Market Size, Share and Growth Forecast 2026-2034

Market Overview:

According to  Group's latest publication, "Pigeon Pea Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2026-2034", The global pigeon pea market size reached 18.9 Million Tons in 2025. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach 37.2 Million Tons by 2034, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 7.56% during 2026-2034.

This detailed analysis primarily encompasses industry size, business trends, market share, key growth factors, and regional forecasts. The report offers a comprehensive overview and integrates findings, market assessments, and data from different sources. It also includes pivotal market dynamics like drivers and challenges, while also highlighting growth opportunities, financial insights, technological improvements, emerging trends, and innovations. Besides this, the report provides regional market evaluation, along with a competitive landscape analysis.

How Pigeon Pea Is Reshaping the Global Pulse and Plant-Based Protein Industry

• Pigeon pea is high in thiamin‚ riboflavin‚ niacin‚ vitamin B-6‚ folate‚ vitamin A‚ calcium‚ iron‚ magnesium‚ phosphorus and potassium‚ and is thus an ideal food for people worldwide concerned about good health or low in proteins․
• The market for dried pigeon peas (dried peas) worldwide was 3․4% larger in 2024 for a market value of 4․4 billion USD‚ reversing a two-year decline in consumption․
• India's 3․5 million tons of annual pigeon pea production is 1․5 million tons behind the domestic demand‚ leading to import costs of $800 million per year․
• India is expected to import 1․2 million tonnes of pigeon peas by March 2024․ With pigeon pea critical to Indian food security‚ innovations on the supply side are essential to address the issue․
• Online sales‚ the fastest-growing distribution channel‚ are expected to account for 18․6% of revenue in 2025‚ up from around 12․3% in 2022‚ due to an increase in grocery e-commerce websites and subscription-based food delivery services․

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Key Trends in the Pigeon Pea Market

• Demand for Plant Alternatives:‌ The demand for plant-based protein alternatives is high as a result of the increasing rate of individuals living vegan/vegetarian lifestyles․ Pigeon peas are rich in protein and‌ dietary fiber․ Growing awareness of the health benefits associated with eating pigeon peas owing to their high iron content is expected to propel‌ market growth․ Growing trends regarding plant-based food are creating new opportunities for pigeon peas‌ to be used as an ingredient in food‚ such as plant-based meat products and high protein snacks․
• Growth in e-commerce and‌ online grocery business: The e-commerce sector in India‚ such as BigBasket‚ Blinkit and others‚ has grown rapidly․ In 2024‚ packaged pulse sales grew over‌ 38% year-on-year (YoY)․ Pigeon‌ pea is one of the most commonly sold pulses and proteins among e-commerce grocery players․ This has given urban and semi-urban consumers another convenient option to buy‌ pulses (including pigeon pea) in ready to cook and ready to eat formats․
• Speed breeding technology is expected to transform supply․ ICRISAT's pigeon pea speed breeding method‚ considered the first in the world‚ was developed and announced in February 2024․ This method shortens the time frame for breeding pigeon peas from 13 years to two to four years through the manipulation of photoperiod‚ temperature‚ and humidity․ Only 250 pigeon pea varieties had been released worldwide in the previous 60 years before the speed breeding method was developed․
• Organic and Non-GMO Pigeon Peas Demand: A growing demand for organic pigeon peas is observed‚ driven by consumer preferences for non-GMO and chemical-free food products․ Organic pigeon peas are gaining traction in both domestic and international markets as a healthy and environment-friendly alternative to conventional pigeon pea varieties․
• Drought-resistant‚ Climate-adapted systems: The tap-root of the pigeon pea can access both soil moisture and nutrients from the subsoil and so‚ for food and feed security‚ pigeon pea is one of the most important and drought-resistant pulse crops grown in arid and semi-arid environments․ Furthermore‚ the nitrogen-fixing ability of pigeon pea makes it an ideal plant for integrated and sustainable farming systems‚ leading to both supply-side price stability and long-term market growth․

We explore the factors propelling the pigeon pea market growth, including technological advancements, consumer behaviors, and regulatory changes.

Growth Factors in the Pigeon Pea Market

• Government plan: A three-year project titled "Enhancing Pigeonpea Production and Productivity in India by Promoting High-Yielding Early Maturing Varieties and Hybrids" was launched by ICRISAT and the Government of India‚ in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Pulses and 12 State Agricultural Universities․ To obtain 30% higher yields‚ the project seeks to provide a package of improved agronomic practices and high-yielding pigeonpea varieties and hybrids for farmers․
• Heat-tolerant breakthrough cultivar expanding pigeon pea cropping cycles: ICRISAT in June 2025 developed the world's first heat-tolerant pigeon pea varietal ICPV 25444 tolerable to 45 degrees Celsius which saves up to 20 days of the typical growing cycle․ It is ready for harvest in 125 days with an average yield of 2 tons per hectare in Karnataka‚ Odisha‚ and Telangana․ It has also assisted in developing an additional 2 to 3 million hectares of tail-end command areas and increased farming profitability by USD 234 per hectare․
• Partnership of Research Institutions and Seed Companies: Nuziveedu Seeds and IARI announced a calculated collaboration on 24 September 2024‚ for the development and commercialization of three high-yielding pigeon pea varieties to help improve the productivity of farmers․ This is an example of how partnerships between research institutions and the commercial sector are enabling high-quality genetics to reach the marketplace․
• Perennial Nature Enabling Multiple Harvests and Trade: The perennial nature of pigeon pea enables farmers to get multiple harvests and then trade the surplus in domestic and international markets․ Increasing population‚ fall in prices‚ rising imports‚ increase in per capita income coupled with increasing availability of high storage at global level․
• Uses of the pigeon pea include animal feed‚ wood for fuel‚ shelter for lac insect breeding‚ green manure‚ erosion control‚ and hedge fencing as a windbreak․ For food and drink‚ pigeon pea is used in soups‚ stews‚ curries‚ sauces and with rice․ Potential health benefits of the crop include being an energy booster‚ or to increase immunity‚ prevent anemia‚ treat inflammation‚ regulate blood pressure‚ and strengthen the cardiovascular system and digestive system․

Leading Companies Operating in the Global Pigeon Pea Industry:

• SYMAF Co Ltd
• Sun Impex
• Interamsa Agroindustrial SAC
• A.B. Agro Company
• Arvind Limited
• Akyurek Kardesler Ltd
• Taj Foods
• Pulses Splitting and Processing Industry Pvt Ltd
• Unitex Tanzania Limited
• Cargill

Pigeon Pea Market Report Segmentation:

Breakup By Region:

• India
• Myanmar
• Malawi
• Kenya
• Tanzania

India currently holds the largest market share on account of the increasing production of pigeon pea in the country, coupled with the rising usage of its leaves in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery and numerous initiatives undertaken by the Government of India for the welfare of farmers, which are positively influencing the market. 

Recent News and Developments in the Pigeon Pea Market

• February 2024: ICRISAT‚ the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics‚ developed the world's first pigeon pea speed breeding protocol to accelerate the development of climate resilient‚ nutrition dense and high-yielding pigeon pea varieties within two to four years compared to thirteen years (conventionally)․
• In September 2024‚ Nuziveedu Seeds and the Indian Agricultural Institute (IARI) began an initiative to provide Indian pigeon pea farmers with three high-yielding varieties to improve profitability․
• ICRISAT in June 2025 unveiled ICPV 25444‚ the world's first heat tolerant pigeon pea variety that can withstand temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius․ With a 125-day maturity period‚ this variety was developed using ICRISAT's rapid breeding technique that reduces the time taken for developing a variety from 15 years to five years․
• In June 2025‚ ICRISAT announced it is using its speed breeding facility to generate a global pigeon pea trait diversity panel drawn from the 13‚000-accession genebank‚ in collaboration with partners in Asia‚ Africa‚ Australia‚ Brazil and Ecuador․

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