Australia: Chickpea harvest gathers pace, lentil crop hangs on

The article provides an overview of the chickpea and lentil harvest in Australia, with a focus on the market dynamics and pricing in Queensland and New South Wales. It highlights the challenges faced by the lentil crop due to adverse growing conditions, such as dry spells and frosts, which have reduced the yield projections from 1.7Mt to 1Mt. In contrast, chickpea harvest is expected to reach 1.5Mt, with demand from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The article also touches on the logistical challenges and container freight rate variations for exporting chickpeas to these countries. Additionally, it discusses the market outlook for faba beans, noting a shift in harvest expectations towards New South Wales and Queensland, and the impact of weather conditions on lentil crops.

Grower selling of chickpeas is picking up as harvest gathers pace in southern Queensland, and cargoes for loading by January are being booked into India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Australia’s chickpea harvest appears likely to easily achieve 1.5 million tonnes (Mt), and quality in pockets of Qld may have been impacted by this week’s storms. After dry conditions in South Australia and Victoria and further frosts as recently as this week, Australia’s lentil crop is looking like 1Mt, down from 1.7Mt as forecast in early September by ABARES. However, widespread rain of more than 12mm and mild weather in the next fortnight could see the lentil crop pile on 100,000-200,000t, with forecasts cause for cautious optimism in Vic and SA. Grower uncertainty about lentil yields from the start of the troubled growing season has limited forward sales. In a complete turnaround on normal years, New South Wales and Qld combined could well harvest more faba beans this year than the SA and Vic total, ...