Glacier FarmMedia — Australian pulse production is expected to set a record for the second year in a row in 2025/26, with a slight decline in the chickpea crop countered by increased lentil production, said the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARES) in its December crop report.
The pulse harvest is well underway in Australia, with total pulse production for the country forecast by ABARES to increase by 16 per cent on the year at 6.3 million tonnes.
Why it matters: Australian chickpeas and lentils compete with Canadian supplies on the global market.
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Of that total, chickpea production is forecast to dip to 2.120 million tonnes from 2.267 million tonnes grown in 2024/25. Meanwhile, lentil production is forecast at 1.910 million tonnes, which would be up 51 per cent on the year.
Lupin production is forecast at 991,000 tonnes, up 27 per cent, while all other pulses at 1.283 million tonnes would be up by 15 per cent.
Increased demand form India has reportedly helped drive Australian farmers to grow more pulses. Australia exported a record 2.050 million tonnes of chickpeas in 2024/25, with 70 per cent of that total going to India.
“India’s domestic production had been impacted by poor seasonal conditions, resulting in high domestic prices,” said ABARES, noting that the strong sales to India were due to India instituting a tariff free period for Australian chickpeas.
“The increased demand for Australian exports resulted in chickpea prices increasing to over $1,000 (Australian dollars) per tonne, as exporters competed to secure supply from growers,” said ABARES.
The tariff free period ended on March 31, 2025, but the rate was adjusted to 10 per cent rather than the 66 per cent tariffs before the tariff free period.
ABARES expects chickpea exports will dip to 1.714 million tonnes in 2025/26, but sees lentil exports increasing to 1.537 million tonnes from 1.155 million in 2024/25.
