Domestic Supply to Check Lentil Imports
31-Jan-2026 01:34 PM
New Delhi: The sowing area for lentils, the second most important pulse crop of the Rabi season, has increased, and favorable weather conditions are expected to improve yields.
This is projected to result in higher overall production. Similarly, there has been a significant increase in the sowing area for chickpeas.
Data from the Central Ministry of Agriculture shows that compared to last year, the area under chickpea cultivation during the current Rabi season has increased by 4.66 lakh hectares, from 91.22 lakh hectares to 95.88 lakh hectares, and the lentil sowing area has increased by 46,000 hectares, from 17.66 lakh hectares to 18.12 lakh hectares.
With the chickpea sowing area reaching 236.80 lakh acres and assuming average yields remain constant, total production is estimated to increase to 114 lakh tonnes, which is about 3 lakh tonnes more than the 111.10 lakh tonnes produced last season. Lentil production is also expected to increase from 16.50 lakh tonnes to 19.90 lakh tonnes.
According to trade analysts, if these production estimates materialize, it could lead to a reduction in imports of not only lentils but also chickpeas (desi) and peas.
India has imposed a 30 percent import duty on yellow peas since November 1, 2025, while a 10 percent customs duty is already in place on imports of lentils and desi chickpeas.
If there are no changes to the customs duties or if they are increased, pulse imports could decrease in 2026. Imports of yellow peas are already weak, and the pace of lentil and chickpea imports is also slow.
Statistics Canada, a Canadian government agency, has projected India's lentil production for the current Rabi season of 2025-26 at 1.99 million tonnes, which is significantly higher than the 1.65 million tonnes produced in the 2024-25 season and the five-year average of 1.55 million tonnes.
According to the agency, India imported approximately 1.08 million tonnes of lentils during 2025, a figure that is expected to decrease slightly to around 1 million tonnes in 2026.
From January to November 2025, India imported 935,400 tonnes of lentils, which was slightly higher than the 919,600 tonnes imported during the same period in 2024. Imports continued in December as well.