Heavy rains threaten Australia’s chickpea crop and delay harvest

Heavy rains have halted chickpea harvesting in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, Australia, raising concerns about crop quality. Major growing areas have received 100–200 mm of rainfall over the past two weeks, with even higher amounts recorded in some locations. High humidity, heavy showers and thunderstorms are increasing the risk of mould development and seed discolouration, potentially reducing the crop’s marketable quality.

According to industry experts, chickpea crops that have already been desiccated and were awaiting harvest are likely to be the most affected. Mould has been observed on pods in some fields, although the extent of damage to the seeds themselves remains uncertain. Meanwhile, later-planted crops in certain areas could benefit from the additional moisture. According to the latest ABARES forecast, Australia’s chickpea production is expected to reach 1.05 mln tons this season, but no more than 300 thsd tons had been harvested at the time of reporting, mainly in central Queensland.

Amid weather-related risks, Australian chickpea prices have increased by approximately AUD 90/t over the past month. After briefly exceeding AUD 1,000/t delivered Brisbane, most transactions are now taking place at around AUD 980/t. The price increase reflects tighter new-crop availability and export demand, primarily from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. However, the market has not seen a sharp additional rally, as carryover stocks from the previous harvest remain available to meet some import demand.

Adverse weather conditions are also creating risks for export shipments. Several chickpea cargoes are scheduled to be loaded at the Port of Brisbane in the coming weeks, but the actual number of shipments could fall to as few as two if widespread quality downgrades occur. Traders expect that lower-quality chickpeas could still find buyers in Pakistan, although they would need to be sold at a discount. Old-crop chickpeas are currently trading approximately AUD 25–30/t below new-crop supplies.

Chickpea harvesting in the affected regions is not expected to resume until next week at the earliest, depending on weather conditions. Once harvesting resumes, grain handlers may establish separate receival categories for chickpeas with downgraded quality specifications. Further price developments will depend on the actual extent of crop damage, the availability of high-quality chickpeas and demand from major importing countries.

Tags: weather conditions, chickpea, Austria