Chickpeas tip at GrainCorp’s Mt McLaren depot in Central Queensland this week. Image: GrainCorp
AUSTRALIA exported 185,334 tonnes of chickpeas and 117,018t of lentils in August, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The chickpea figure is more than double the 77,541t shipped in July, while the lentil total is up 34 percent from the 87,290t shipped in the previous month.
The unseasonal surge in exports for both pulses represents an increase in shipments to India.
On chickpeas, exports to India hit 90,576t, up 152pc from 35,997t, while lentils on 86,429t were up 141pc from 35,831t.
Behind India, Pakistan on 64,795t and the United Arab Emirates on 11,606t appear as the second and third-biggest markets for August-shipped chickpeas.
In lentil exports for August, Bangladesh on 18,397t and Nepal on 5275t appear as the second and third-biggest markets behind India.
The figures have been released as the chickpea harvest ramps in Central Queensland, the source of early new-crop shipments.
Harvest in southern Qld and in northern New South Wales is expected to crank up in the next fortnight.
Australia’s 2026-27 shipping year officially started yesterday, and chickpeas feature heavily in Qld shipping stems in the current quarter.
| Jun | Jly | Aug | Tonnes | |
| Bangladesh | 12833 | 35810 | 10049 | 58692 |
| Belgium | 0 | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| Canada | 595 | 521 | 931 | 2047 |
| Egypt | 520 | 0 | 0 | 520 |
| Fiji | 0 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Germany | 14 | 0 | 45 | 59 |
| Greece | 0 | 0 | 48 | 48 |
| India | 13558 | 35997 | 90576 | 140130 |
| Indonesia | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Israel | 0 | 24 | 0 | 24 |
| Italy | 216 | 96 | 216 | 528 |
| Japan | 71 | 43 | 43 | 156 |
| Malaysia | 0 | 0 | 95 | 95 |
| Mauritius | 0 | 50 | 50 | 100 |
| Nepal | 1459 | 2420 | 5345 | 9224 |
| New Zealand | 91 | 24 | 80 | 195 |
| Oman | 0 | 0 | 50 | 50 |
| Pakistan | 27120 | 921 | 64795 | 92836 |
| Saudi Arabia | 0 | 0 | 246 | 246 |
| Singapore | 0 | 0 | 24 | 24 |
| South Korea | 0 | 24 | 49 | 73 |
| Thailand | 25 | 23 | 27 | 75 |
| Turkiye | 0 | 46 | 154 | 200 |
| UAE | 0 | 125 | 11606 | 11731 |
| UK | 590 | 1114 | 599 | 2304 |
| US | 143 | 222 | 288 | 653 |
| Yemen | 0 | 50 | 0 | 50 |
| TOTAL | 57236 | 77541 | 185334 | 320111 |
Table 1: Australian chickpea exports for June, July and August 2026. Source: ABS
| LENTILS | Jun | Jly | Aug | Tonnes |
| Bangladesh | 493 | 42232 | 18397 | 61122 |
| Egypt | 200 | 0 | 0 | 200 |
| India | 18799 | 35831 | 86429 | 141059 |
| Japan | 3 | 22 | 4 | 29 |
| Nepal | 4429 | 3589 | 5275 | 13293 |
| Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| New Zealand | 60 | 94 | 64 | 217 |
| Pakistan | 0 | 2538 | 2442 | 4980 |
| South Korea | 0 | 0 | 114 | 114 |
| Sri Lanka | 4294 | 2966 | 4273 | 11533 |
| US | 8 | 18 | 0 | 26 |
| TOTAL | 28286 | 87290 | 117018 | 232594 |
Table 2: Australian lentil exports for June, July and August 2026. Source: ABS
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