Australian Crop Impacts Chickpea Market: Surge in Exports and Price Volatility
12-Apr-2025 09:21 AM
Australian Crop Impacts Chickpea Market: Surge in Exports and Price Volatility
★ The situation regarding chickpea production in Australia remains unclear. The initial estimate was around 1.5 million tons, which has been consistently revised upward. It is now expected to reach around 2.4 to 2.5 million tons.
★ Between December and February, Australia exported a total of 1.59 million tons of desi chickpeas, of which India accounted for 1.214 million tons. Despite the recent imposition of a 10% import duty on chickpeas by the Indian government, the impact has been limited, as a significant volume had already been exported earlier.
★ According to ABARES' March 2025 report, chickpea production in Australia is estimated at 2.3 million tons—several times higher than the 784,000 tons produced in 2023–24. The trade community is also questioning how such a large volume of exports has been possible.
★ The recent spike in domestic chickpea prices was driven by stockist purchases and the announcement of import duties. However, the market has since turned sluggish, and demand has declined. Domestic production is reportedly good, and imports from abroad continue, ensuring robust overall chickpea availability.
★ On April 8, chickpea prices in Delhi mandi peaked for the month at Rs. 5,975 per quintal, but dropped afterward. By April 11, the price had declined by Rs. 165 to close at Rs. 5,810 per quintal.
★ On April 1, imported Australian chickpeas were priced at Rs. 5,660 per quintal, rose to Rs. 6,000 within a week, and then fell by around Rs. 100.
★ Overall, the price increase driven by stockist demand is now fading as demand drops.
★ In most mandis of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, desi chickpeas are trading slightly above the Minimum Support Price (MSP), while in Gujarat and Rajasthan, prices are around or below the MSP of Rs. 5,650.
★ Government procurement data has not been released for a long time.
★ In summary, unless there are changes in the import regulations for peas, it could continue to affect not only chickpea prices but also the prices of other pulses.