Sharp decline in lentil imports from Australia in April

26-Jun-2025 08:11 PM

Melbourne. India imported 58,077 tonnes of lentils from Australia in February 2025, which fell to 26,614 tonnes in March and further declined to 13,452 tonnes in April.

Thus, a total of 98,142 tonnes of Australian lentils were imported into the country during the February-April 2025 quarter.

Until the end of March, lentils were being imported duty-free into India, but from April onwards, a 10 percent customs duty was imposed, leading to a sharp fall in imports.

Additionally, domestic market prices have stabilized within a certain range, and the government is reported to hold a sufficient stock of lentils.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia exported about 3.07 lakh tonnes of lentils during February-April 2025, with shipments of 1.48 lakh tonnes in February, 1.05 lakh tonnes in March, and 54,000 tonnes in April.

During this period, Australia exported 98,142 tonnes of lentils to India, 93,821 tonnes to Bangladesh, 42,943 tonnes to Sri Lanka, 38,801 tonnes to Pakistan, and 13,903 tonnes to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Nepal imported 8,347 tonnes, Egypt 9,490 tonnes, and Bahrain 1,310 tonnes. Smaller shipments were also made to countries including Fiji, Italy, Lebanon, Mauritius, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, and Zimbabwe.

The ABS report states that a total of 53,525 tonnes of lentils were exported from Australia in April 2025, which is 49 percent less than the March shipment of 1,05,101 tonnes and 52 percent lower than the April 2024 export of 1,12,602 tonnes.

In April 2025, the highest export of 22,994 tonnes went to Bangladesh, followed by India with 13,452 tonnes and Sri Lanka with 13,105 tonnes.

Lentil sowing for the upcoming crop season in Australia is nearly complete, and weather conditions in most areas are reported to be quite favorable for crop development.