A crop of lupins at Barooka in South Australia’s South East which the Goode family expects to be harvesting around Christmas. Photo: Henry Goode
ABARES has forecast production of Australia’s five major pulse crops at 2.58 million tonnes (Mt), up 10 per cent from its initial forecast released in June of 2.35Mt, but 2pc below last month’s estimate of 2.63Mt from industry body Pulse Australia.
ABARES’ latest figures were released yesterday in its Australian crop report – September 2020, and show increases of 7pc on chickpeas and field peas, 4pc and 5pc on faba beans and lupins respectively, and a hefty 30pc on lentils.
September estimates from ABARES sit below the standing Pulse Australia numbers by 8pc on chickpeas, 26pc on field peas and 13pc on faba beans, but 40pc and 7pc above them on lentils and lupins respectively.
On hectares planted, ABARES has trimmed its estimate for chickpeas due to ongoing dry conditions in Queensland, but boosted its estimate for lentil area by 24pc.
This is believed to reflect a late swing out of barley in response to China’s introduction in May of a tariff on Australian feed and malting barley.
ABARES September area estimates for field peas, lentils and lupins are steady to a touch higher compared with initial estimates released in June.
Australia’s 2020-21 pulse harvest has started in small volume in Central Queensland this week, and will gather pace as it moves south to hit peak volume in November and December.
| State | Chickpeas | Field peas | Faba beans | Lentils | Lupins |
| Qld | 275,000 | 0 | nq | 0 | 0 |
| NSW | 352,000 | 59,000 | nq | 10,000 | 96,000 |
| Vic | 68,000 | 59,000 | nq | 180,000 | 44,000 |
| SA | 9,000 | 115,000 | nq | 289,000 | 50,000 |
| WA | 5,000 | 45,000 | nq | 18,000 | 490,000 |
| National | 708,000 | 278,000 | 418,000 | 497,000 | 680,000 |
| ABARES Jun | 661,000 | 259,000 | 402,000 | 381,000 | 650,000 |
| Change | +7pc | +7pc | +4pc | +30pc | +5pc |
| PA Aug | 773,000 | 378,000 | 479,000 | 358,000 | 638,000 |
Table 1: ABARES Sep 2020 estimated tonnage for major pulses by state, and ABARES initial national estimates released in June, as well as Pulse Australia’s estimates issued in August.
| State | Chickpeas | Field peas | Faba beans | Lentils | Lupins |
| Qld | 230,000 | 0 | nq | 0 | 0 |
| NSW | 220,000 | 37,000 | nq | 7,000 | 60,000 |
| Vic | 45,000 | 47,000 | nq | 150,000 | 38,000 |
| SA | 8,000 | 85,000 | nq | 170,000 | 40,000 |
| WA | 5,000 | 35,000 | nq | 11,000 | 350,000 |
| National | 508,000 | 204,000 | 239,000 | 338,000 | 488,000 |
| vs ABARES Jun | 531,000 | 204,000 | 235,000 | 272,000 | 485,000 |
| Change | -4pc | Steady | +2pc | +24pc | +1pc |
| PA Aug | 452,000 | 241,000 | 233,000 | 250,000 | 499,000 |
Table 2: Sep 2020 estimated area for major pulses by state, and ABARES initial national estimates released in June, as well as Pulse Australia’s estimates issued in August. Source: ABARES
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