Australia exports 16,345t chickpeas, 43,945t lentils in August

Australia exported 16,345 tonnes of chickpeas and 43,945t of lentils in August, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The chickpea figure is down 29 percent from the July figure of 23,176t, while the lentil figure has dropped 44pc over the month.

Pakistan on 8643t followed by Nepal on 1905t and the United Arab Emirates on 1889t were the biggest market for chickpeas as stocks dwindled ahead of the shipping year which started October 1.

In sharp contrast to last year, when new-crop exports moved at record pace to catch India’s tariff-free window which closed March 31, October and November bulk shipments are looking decidedly thin.

First bulk cargoes out of the Central Queensland ports of Mackay and Gladstone are scheduled to load later this month, with Brisbane bulk exports due to start in November.

The chickpea harvest is advancing in fine weather in CQ, but is yet to gain any momentum in southern Qld, and is still some weeks away for northern New South Wales crops, which have had a soft finish.

Harvest of lentils will not gather pace until next month, although crops are turning quickly as most South Australian and Victorian crops deal with a dry finish to their growing season.

Against heady competition from Canada, lentils are not appearing on stems in the front months of the shipping year, and cash selling by growers is expected to be thin unless values pick up from current levels.

Table 1: Australian chickpea exports in June, July and August 2025. Source: ABS

Table 2: Australian lentil exports in June, July and August 2025. Source: ABS

Tags: Australia, export, Pakistan, chickpeas, United Arab Emirates, Nepal, lentils