AUSTRALIA exported 789,065 tonnes of chickpeas and 1,483,447t of lentils in the year to 30 September 2024, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The chickpea figure is up 17 percent from 675,516t shipped in 2022-23, while lentil exports are down 15pc from 1,745,433t.

On chickpeas, Bangladesh on 336,036t was the biggest market for Australia’s 2023-24 shipments, followed by Pakistan on 166,801t, and the United Arab Emirates on 141,267t.

On lentils, India on 698,743t, Bangladesh on 335,286t, and Sri Lanka on 150,284t were the major markets.

While India continued to import modest amounts of Australian chickpeas, ostensibly for processing and reexporting, shipments have jumped since the tariff was removed in May.

Ahead of the expected return of India’s tariff in April next year, India may well regain its status as Australia’s major chickpea market, as was the case in the years up to and including 2016-17, when India introduced and then increased tariffs.

CHICKPEAS	Oct-Dec	Jan-Mar	Apr-Jun	Jly	Aug	Sep	Tonnes
Bangladesh	108141	57637	165778	1457	673	2351	336036
Belgium	0	242	242	44	177	0	705
Canada	3738	2646	6384	850	1726	174	15518
Egypt	248	1031	1279	0	0	0	2558
Fiji	25	71	96	0	25	0	218
Germany	0	96	96	0	44	0	237
India	4611	3267	7878	8642	7787	13089	45275
Indonesia	25	0	25	23	0	0	73
Israel	0	48	48	0	0	0	96
Italy	527	739	1266	0	23	72	2627
Japan	65	195	260	47	0	0	566
Jordan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Lebanon	48	385	433	0	0	0	866
Malaysia	691	801	1492	0	146	168	3299
Mauritius	398	485	883	75	48	72	1962
Nepal	14983	2303	17286	613	967	497	36648
Netherlands	125	25	150	0	0	0	300
New Zealand	283	341	624	57	46	99	1450
Pakistan	47755	30071	77826	127	1971	9050	166801
Papua New Guinea	0	3	3	0	0	0	7
Philippines	0	77	77	0	0	0	154
Saudi Arabia	120	0	120	0	0	0	240
Singapore	422	439	861	1	24	48	1794
South Africa	106	97	203	0	0	0	406
South Korea	370	232	602	0	0	50	1254
Spain	0	20	20	0	24	24	88
Sri Lanka	1146	1078	2224	0	0	48	4495
Thailand	1488	151	1639	45	0	46	3368
Turkiye	678	0	678	0	0	0	1356
UAE	35270	33703	68973	370	900	2050	141267
UK	2654	3341	5995	709	704	1094	14497
US	1694	318	2012	146	149	94	4413
Vietnam	0	24	24	48	24	0	120
Yemen	124	25	149	0	75	0	373
TOTAL	225735	139892	365627	13253	15532	29026	789065

Table 1: Australian chickpea exports for the year to 30 September 2024. Source: ABS

LENTILS	Oct-Dec	Jan-Mar	Apr-Jun	Jly	Aug	Sep	Tonnes
Bahrain	1978	4369	1252	1507	1142	0	10247
Bangladesh	25949	113428	124437	32058	3711	35703	335286
Canada	2	0	4	0	0	0	6
Egypt	7238	24681	30713	14402	275	667	77979
Fiji	1	1	24	0	0	0	26
India	305961	138926	136047	50508	35019	32282	698743
Indonesia	0	0	2	0	0	0	2
Italy	0	0	125	0	0	0	125
Japan	23	0	22	21	25	0	91
Jordan	0	348	0	0	0	0	348
Lebanon	0	25	97	0	0	0	122
Malaysia	552	22	0	0	0	0	574
Mauritius	146	98	148	48	72	50	562
Nepal	9845	8962	10379	5565	5570	3400	43721
New Zealand	36	104	157	15	57	2	371
Pakistan	21827	41960	12152	4617	6597	9620	96773
Papua New Guinea	0	1	0	0	1	0	2
Philippines	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
South Africa	116	47	92	0	46	0	301
South Korea	24	120	0	0	23	48	215
Sri Lanka	29209	43911	42242	12613	12161	10148	150284
Taiwan	0	27	25	0	0	0	51
Thailand	0	125	0	24	0	0	149
Turkiye	27603	0	22	0	0	0	27625
UAE	16763	3563	19219	0	0	0	39545
UK	25	124	0	0	0	0	149
US	7	0	0	20	0	0	27
Yemen	48	0	0	0	54	0	102
Zimbabwe	24	0	0	0	0	0	24
TOTAL TONNES	447377	380842	377159	121399	64753	91920	1483447

Table 2: Australian lentil exports for the year to 30 September 2024. Source: ABS

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