Australia exports 298,792t chickpeas, 149,111t lentils in February

Australia exported 298,792 tonnes of chickpeas and 149,111t of lentils in February, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The chickpea figure is down 48 percent from the January total of 576,907t, with India on 235,264t continuing its run as the biggest destination by far.

Pakistan on 37,817t was the second-biggest market for February-shipped chickpeas, followed by Bangladesh on 14,344t.

India was also the biggest market for February-shipped lentils, taking 59,264t, followed by Bangladesh on 48,127t, Pakistan on 13,930t, and Sri Lanka on 13,510t.

February figures represented the final push in India’s tariff-free window which closed on March 31, and the February total to all destinations is down 12pc from the 169,353t shipped in January.

Viterra this week announced it had sold Australia’s first lentil cargo under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, which allows for 37,500t per quarter to be shipped at 50pc of the standard tariff, currently at 11pc.

The same 11pc tariff applies to chickpeas, which do not currently have a quota for tonnage at a reduced tariff.

The Australian dollar’s recent tumble to below US 60 cents has helped terms of trade for exporters, who are hopeful Australian chickpeas and pulses may be able to price into India, even with the full tariff in place.

Table 1: Australia’s chickpea exports for December 2024 and January and February 2025. Source: ABS

Table 2: Australia’s lentil exports for December 2024 and January and February 2025. Source: ABS

Tags: lentils, Australia, Pakistan, India, chickpeas, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh