Australia’s exports of chickpeas and lentils surged in December, exceeding market expectations, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The country shipped 588,122 tonnes of chickpeas and 410,805 tonnes of lentils during the month.
Chickpea exports rose 57% compared with November, while lentil shipments more than doubled. India was by far the largest buyer of chickpeas, importing 368,177 tonnes, or 63% of total volumes.
Bangladesh and Pakistan ranked second and third respectively among chickpea destinations, while India and Bangladesh together accounted for over 60% of Australia’s December lentil exports.
Traders said the scale of India’s buying surprised the market, especially given the import tariffs currently applied to chickpeas and lentils, which were expected to limit demand.
