India Imports a Massive 159,000 Tons of Lentils from Australia in December

06-Feb-2026 05:11 PM

Melbourne. India, the world's largest producer, consumer, and importer of pulses, imports large quantities from both Canada and Australia.

Australia primarily supplies chickpeas and lentils, while Canada provides peas and lentils, and Myanmar exports urad and tur dal. Tur and chickpeas are also imported from African countries.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that total lentil exports from Australia surged in December 2025, reaching a record high of 410,806 tons, a 124 percent increase compared to the 183,791 tons shipped in November 2025. 

As a result, a remarkable 594,596 tons of lentils were exported from Australia during the two months of November and December 2025, significantly higher than the combined shipments of 296,537 tons during the same two months of 2024.

In December 2025, India was the largest buyer of Australian lentils, importing a massive 159,067 tons. This was followed by Bangladesh, which imported 139,343 tons, and Pakistan, which imported 53,762 tons.

It is noteworthy that in December, India was experiencing robust sowing of Rabi season pulse crops, particularly chickpeas, lentils, and peas, but market prices were somewhat elevated.

Despite a 10 percent import duty on lentils in India, large quantities were imported from abroad. New crop lentils from Australia began arriving in October, and the pace of supply accelerated in November-December 2025.