New Lentil Arrivals in Australia Lead to Slight Price Softening

24-Oct-2025 11:18 AM

Adelaide. Harvesting has begun in Australia, the world's second-largest lentil exporter after Canada, and the pace will steadily increase in the coming months.

Due to the arrival of new shipments and weak export demand, lentil prices have softened by $10 compared to last month, reaching $585 per tonne for delivery to the port of Victoria and $600 per tonne in South Australia.

According to trade analysts, some forward trades are being made by producers in South Australia, but farmers in Victoria are showing little interest. They are focused on spot trading.

Farmers there are busy storing their produce on their farms. Last year, lentils proved to be an important cash crop for Victorian producers, but this year, the low market prices are disappointing them. They may wait for lentil prices to rise for some time.

According to analysts, due to good rainfall conditions in these two provinces, lentil yields are expected to remain near the five-year average. Late-sown crops are expected to benefit from the current rains.

Preparations for harvesting the new lentil crop are expected to gain momentum in some key producing areas from the first week of November, while harvesting has already begun in the far northern part of South Australia.

The government agency ABARES estimates lentil production in Australia to be approximately 1.7 million tons during the current marketing season.

Canada has also experienced substantial production, which will ensure smooth supply and availability in the global market, and fierce competition is expected between these two countries to ensure maximum export of their stocks. Exporters from Russia and the United States will also be active.