Australia: Markets in doldrums as harvest gathers pace

Australia’s pulse harvest is gathering pace, with northern crops on track to deliver average or better yields for chickpeas and faba beans, and lentil harvesting just getting starting in the south amid mixed conditions. Markets for all three pulses remain depressed due to heady competition from Canada on lentils, and limited interest from India on chickpeas and Egypt on faba beans respectively. Because of the relatively low prices, off-the-header sales of chickpeas, faba beans, and lentils are shaping up to be well down on last year, with barley, canola and hay expected to be more attractive options for prompt sales. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars per tonne unless otherwise stated. The November-December delivered Brisbane market for bulk chickpeas is currently quoted at around $600/t, down $30/t over the past month. Just back from a trip including crop inspections in the Moree and Goondiwindi districts, Unistar Grains director Sanjiv Dubey said the chickpea harvest in ...