ABARES tips record lentil crop as pulse forecasts lift

forecast to be the second-biggest on record after last year’s 2.267Mt harvest, and from a record planted area of 1.078Mt, just ahead of the 2024-25 planting of 1.039Mha. The national field pea crop is seen at 220,000t from 184,000ha, while lupins are seen at 840,000t from 551,000ha, including 650,000t from 400,000ha expected from Western Australia. Most of Australia’s lentil crop is grown in South Australia and Victoria, and the improvement in the SA season after a rugged start has seen both area and production estimates increase substantially. In NSW, the estimated lentil planted area has increased by 150 percent to a record 75,000ha, while the production estimate has tripled to 90,000t. The national estimate for faba bean production has risen 26pc over the quarter to 854,000t, mostly because of a 40pc rise for NSW, and a 25pc rise for SA, where conditions have improved considerably in the South East, home to much of the SA crop. “Much-needed rainfall fell across many parts of ...