AUSTRALIA exported 25,892 tonnes of chickpeas and 74,856t of lentils, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Both figures are down on the May figure, chickpeas by 16 per cent and lentils by 18pc.

The biggest market for June-shipped chickpeas was Pakistan on 10,349t followed by Nepal on 3323t and Bangladesh on 2420t.

On lentils, the United Arab Emirates on 27,500t followed by Egypt on 21,639t and Pakistan on 9571t were the biggest markets.

Increased volume to Pakistan, more than double the May volume on chickpeas, and a nine-fold increase on lentils, indicates improving terms of trade for container business.

As expected by the trade now that Canada is once again a volume exporter following last year’s drought-reduced offering, Australian lentil exports to India plummeted in June.

The ABS June figure of 2141t is down 93pc from the 32,165t shipped to India in May.

On July 23, the Indian Government announced it would extend the zero tariff allowance on Australian lentils until March 31 next year.

“This is likely to have been driven by the rising wholesale price of both lentils and pigeon pea in India, which are currently both trading well above Minimum Support Prices,” Pulse Australia CEO Nick Goddard said in a statement to members last month.

The extension is unlikely to make Australian lentils competitive with Canadian product, also subject to zero tariff, in coming months at least.

CHICKPEASOct-DecJan-MarAprMayJuneTonnes
Bangladesh10847115337714486162992420295053
Canada217323112341122815949647
Egypt23489939995016975538
Fiji2402402472
France240240048
Greece0960240120
India00228469236933
Indonesia000088
Israel240002448
Italy574200000774
Japan2042002486
Jordan184462000250
Lebanon02300023
Malaysia478502967201148
Mauritius62436297482661397
Nepal59234937136693802332379399
Netherlands71240024119
New Zealand801296311069451
Pakistan1435925209109948741034955890
Papua New Guinea000011
Portugal24000024
Romania244800072
Saudi Arabia1280072120642913
Singapore26429116873144940
South Africa54221616748471020
South Korea16816823072431
Spain04800048
Sri Lanka57340947483691446
Switzerland000202
Taiwan0116000116
Thailand566204815181
Turkey6494149805067529250
UAE10187462320181186182219836
UK30472935159973010099320
US604835771174932126
Vietnam1200000120
Yemen190460046282
TOTAL211109203980272453090625892499132

Table 1: Australian chickpea exports from October 2021 to June 2022. Source: ABS

LENTILSOct-DecJan-MarAprMayJuneTonnes
Bangladesh1862317363248143468142475289687
Egypt2575440016384202163991251
Fiji24000024
India489542232927428321652141133017
Indonesia9203519
Japan047002471
Jordan96000096
Lebanon24750072171
Malaysia45119615200799
Mauritius24026612529325949
Myanmar000000
Nepal7780756412562503174620849
New Zealand2637776267269
Pakistan112872856321023957119639
Papua New Guinea001001
Philippines001001
Singapore202004
South Africa565334960241019
South Korea47710072190
Sri Lanka2499121448105578471898774454
Taiwan462300069
Turkey426711280225085925
UAE924732330002750069077
TOTAL142274306783923129135674856707581

Table 2: Australian lentil exports from October 2021 to June 2022. Source: ABS

Fuente: Grain Central