Australian Lentil Production Projected to Reach 2.21 Million Tonnes

29-Jun-2026 06:56 PM

Melbourne. Earlier this month, the Australian government agency ABARES projected that domestic lentil production for the 2026-27 season would rise to an all-time high of 2.21 million tonnes—an increase of 60,000 tonnes over the 2025-26 record output of 2.15 million tonnes. According to the report, the area under lentil cultivation is also expected to expand from 1.20 million hectares to 1.23 million hectares during this period. Sowing is nearly complete.

South Australia and Victoria are the two leading lentil-producing states. Weather and rainfall conditions there have been largely favorable for the crop. Expectations of a bumper harvest have begun to impact domestic market prices for lentils; producers are attempting to offload existing stocks quickly.

In early May, the peak port delivery price for lentils in Australia hit $670 per tonne; however, it subsequently softened and now hovers around $630 per tonne.

Trade analysts attribute the decline in lentil prices primarily to substantial carryover stocks held by farmers in Australia and Canada, combined with expectations of record-breaking production in both countries in the upcoming season. Additionally, demand from major importing nations has weakened, as overseas buyers are showing no urgency to make purchases.