Chickpea Prices Rise in Australia Amid Fears of Weak Future Production

25-May-2026 04:55 PM

Brisbane. Driven by strong buying interest from traders and exporters, coupled with a tight supply situation, prices for desi chickpeas in Australia have firmed up somewhat over recent weeks. Due to a lack of rainfall and insufficient soil moisture in the southern Queensland and northern New South Wales regions, large-scale chickpea sowing has not been possible. Delays in sowing could lead to a reduction in the total area under chickpea cultivation, while the crop will also remain vulnerable to the potential impact of the El Niño phenomenon in the coming months.

Conversely, in South Australia and Victoria, largely favorable weather conditions have allowed for vigorous sowing of lentils and faba beans. However, chickpea cultivation in these regions is limited to a relatively small area.

The government agency ABARES is expected to release its preliminary quarterly report shortly, providing details on the sowing area for winter pulses for the 2026-27 season. Prior to this, a report released by an analyst firm on May 21 projected that domestic chickpea production would decline to 1.3 million tonnes—a significant drop from the robust production figure of 1.9 million tonnes recorded in the 2025-26 season. On the other hand, production is projected to reach 1.6 million tonnes for lentils and 900,000 tonnes for faba beans, figures that remain roughly on par with the 2025-26 season.

The analyst firm has projected that, during the year under review, the national area dedicated to chickpea cultivation is likely to shrink by 100,000 hectares, settling at 900,000 hectares.

In contrast, the sowing area for lentils is estimated to remain steady at 900,000 hectares, while the acreage for faba beans is expected to hold steady at last year's level of 400,000 hectares.

The actual area under chickpea cultivation could potentially fall even lower than current estimates. Consequently, market prices for chickpeas have begun to rise.