Australia's Chickpea Exports Decline; Lentil Shipments Rise

03-Jul-2026 05:53 PM

Brisbane. Australia—the world's leading exporter of chickpeas and the second-largest exporter of lentils—is witnessing contrasting trends in export shipments for these two pulses during the current 2025-26 marketing season. Compared to the 2024-25 season, chickpea exports are trailing by approximately 450,000 tonnes, whereas lentil exports have surged by 500,000 tonnes.

According to official data, total chickpea exports from Australia during the ten-month period of August 2025 to May 2026 stood at 1,406,643 tonnes, down from the 1,855,079 tonnes recorded during the same period in the previous season (August 2024–May 2025). Australia is the world's top chickpea exporter, and the sowing campaign for the next crop has largely concluded there.

However, chickpea exports from Australia did rise from 19,933 tonnes in April to 27,260 tonnes in May. Of this volume, 15,069 tonnes were shipped to Pakistan, 4,047 tonnes to India, and 3,460 tonnes to Bangladesh, with the remainder exported to other countries.

As for lentils, total exports from Australia rose to 1,320,198 tonnes during the August 2025–May 2026 period—an increase of approximately 515,000 tonnes over the 805,697 tonnes shipped during the August 2024–May 2025 period. Lentil exports from Australia jumped from 81,256 tonnes in April to 198,368 tonnes in May.

In May 2026, 72,692 tonnes of lentils were exported from Australia to Bangladesh, 53,444 tonnes to India, and 36,000 tonnes to Pakistan.