Australia Pulses Crop Update: Harvest Accelerates but Market Remains Weak — Chickpea and Lentil Prices Under Pressure
23-Oct-2025 04:15 PM
Australia Pulses Crop Update: Harvest Accelerates but Market Remains Weak — Chickpea and Lentil Prices Under Pressure
★ Pulse harvesting in Australia is progressing rapidly. Chickpea yields in the northern regions are expected to be average to above average, while lentil harvesting has just begun in the south. However, both markets are currently subdued.
★ Abundant lentil supplies from Canada and limited demand from India and Egypt have weighed on chickpea prices.
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Chickpeas
★ In Brisbane, wholesale chickpea prices for November–December delivery are currently around AUD 600 per tonne, down AUD 30 from last month.
★ Harvesting in New South Wales and Queensland is expected to begin by the end of this month.
★ Crop conditions are good, and yields are likely to be satisfactory, but market sentiment remains weak, with prices staying low. Farmers are unhappy with current rates.
★ At the farm level, chickpeas are trading around AUD 500–510 per tonne — nearly half of last year’s prices. Last year, India imported large quantities before the end of its duty-free period, which had supported higher prices.
★ This year, demand from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh remains limited. Despite a 10% import duty, India has purchased some new-crop consignments, including shipments from Townsville port.
★ ABARES estimates Australia’s chickpea production at 2.1 million tonnes this year, down from last year’s record 2.3 million tonnes.
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Lentils
★ Lentil prices have fallen by about AUD 10 from last month, currently around AUD 585 per tonne at Victorian ports and AUD 600 per tonne in South Australia.
★ Some South Australian farmers are making forward sales, while many in Victoria prefer to store their lentils on-farm or in warehouses.
★ Last year, lentils were a strong cash crop for farmers, but this season’s low prices mean growers are expected to sell only about 10% of their crop at harvest.
★ Despite earlier dry conditions, recent rains have helped pod filling in parts of South Australia and Victoria. Harvesting is expected to begin in Victoria’s Wimmera and Mallee regions by the first week of November.
★ ABARES projects this year’s lentil production at around 1.7 million tonnes. With a large crop also expected in Canada, global lentil prices are unlikely to see significant improvement.
★ When both Australia and Canada produce large crops, competition intensifies in export markets, often driving prices downward.