Markets

Australian chickpea, lentil exports surge in August

Liz Wells, October 15, 2021

A thriving crop of Hallmark XT lentils in Victoria’s Wimmera district which is on track for harvest in late November or December. Photo: Crop Smart

AUSTRALIA exported 57,550 tonnes chickpeas and 119,440t of lentils in August, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The chickpea figure was up 55 per cent from the July total of 36,949t to reflect a surge in sales to Pakistan, Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates, which took 33,357t, 9620t and 7376t respectively.

Lentil exports jumped 92pc from the July figure to reflect the impact of India’s reduced tariff and the resumption of a volume bulk trade to what has historically been Australia’s largest pulse market.

India in late July announced the dropping of tariff on lentil imports, which has cut the basic customs duty of 10pc to zero, and a cess, or duty to fund agricultural infrastructure development, which has dropped to 10pc from 20pc.

Canada is the world’s largest lentil grower and exporter, and drought has reduced its surplus considerably.

Ahead of the anticipated tariff cut, Australian exporters had accumulated lentils ready to ship, and the first bulk cargo to India since December was loading by late July and bound for the port of Tuticorin.

India reduced its tariff in two windows on Australian and Canadian lentils in the second half of 2020, and Australian shippers are hopeful the current easing in tariff stays in place long enough to see some new-crop exported.

CHICKPEAS June July August Tonnes
Bangladesh 850 3758 9620 14227
Canada 689 801 890 2380
Egypt 0 150 225 375
Fiji 0 49 0 49
France 0 0 24 24
Greece 0 0 72 72
India 983 389 125 1497
Israel 24 0 0 24
Italy 96 72 72 240
Japan 22 0 0 22
Jordan 0 0 69 69
Malaysia 24 72 72 168
Mauritius 73 72 97 242
Nepal 3693 1761 2579 8033
New Zealand 94 138 24 256
Pakistan 37361 24581 33357 95300
Saudi Arabia 442 0 0 442
Singapore 74 26 50 150
South Africa 23 0 0 23
South Korea 0 24 48 72
Sri Lanka 298 75 123 495
Thailand 32 0 3 35
Turkey 0 0 1138 1138
UAE 6560 4332 7376 18267
UK 862 537 1446 2846
US 117 112 141 370
TOTAL 52315 36949 57550 146814

Table 1: Australian June, July and August 2021 chickpea exports. Source: ABS

LENTILS June July August Tonnes
Bangladesh 27165 31081 24271 82518
Egypt 13151 0 877 14028
Fiji 22 0 0 22
India 6855 4989 61415 73259
Indonesia 5 0 0 5
Malaysia 0 145 0 145
Mauritius 50 22 0 72
Nepal 2569 3869 4048 10486
New Zealand 55 15 0 70
Pakistan 4864 1852 499 7215
Singapore 2 0 2 4
South Africa 0 25 0 25
South Korea 48 24 0 72
Sri Lanka 15710 12780 4795 33285
Turkey 0 0 750 750
UAE 749 7089 22758 30597
Vietnam 0 0 1 1
Yemen 0 0 24 24
TOTAL 71245 61892 119440 252577

Table 2: Australian June, July and August 2021 lentil exports. Source: ABS

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