Australian chickpea prices surge as importers lock in Ramadan supply

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Australian chickpea prices surge

Highlights

Australian chickpea prices have surged to nearly A$1,000 per tonne from A$600 earlier in 2024, driven by pre-Ramadan buying and global supply concerns.
ABARES forecasts a 52% drop in Australian chickpea production to just over 1 million tonnes in 2026-27, with further downside risk due to lower yields and planted area.
The Port of Townsville prepared its second bulk chickpea shipment after exporting 38,000 tonnes to India and Pakistan, and will export sorghum for the first time this year.

Supply pressure and export demand

As reported by ABC News, delivered prices for Australian chickpeas are climbing towards A$1,000 per tonne in some regions, up from about A$600 per tonne earlier this year as buyers move to secure cargoes before Ramadan. Peter Wilson, chair of the Grains Australia Pulse Council, says the market has not seen A$1,000 per tonne since 2024 and describes the level as a strong outcome for growers.

Wilson says global volatility is unsettling logistics and supply chains, keeping importers cautious about availability. He also points to lower-than-average monsoon rainfall in parts of India linked to El Niño, which is lifting local chickpea prices there and adding momentum to international demand for Australian product.

Several countries are seeking to position supplies at least a month before Ramadan begins in early February, supporting near-term buying interest. Market participants expect prices to ease as more harvest supply becomes available, but current concern over crop size is sustaining buyer urgency.

Lower crop outlook supports regional trade

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences forecasts Australian chickpea production will fall 52% to just over 1 million tonnes in 2026-27, reflecting reduced planted area and lower expected yields across northern New South Wales and Queensland. ABC Landline has been told that estimate may still be optimistic, raising the prospect of an even smaller crop.

In north west Queensland, grower Lucas Findley says he is satisfied with yields of about 1.2 tonnes per hectare, even though he forward-sold most of his crop at lower prices before the rally. He grows about 1,300 hectares of chickpeas in Julia Creek within a grain and cotton rotation, with exports set to move through the Port of Townsville.

The port is preparing for its second dry bulk chickpea shipment after more than 38,000 tonnes were sent to India and Pakistan last October from growing areas including Richmond, Julia Creek, Maxwelton and Marathon. Townsville is also set to export sorghum for the first time this year, a sign of expanding market access for North West Queensland growers.

Our earlier coverage of Strait of Hormuz shipping disruption explained how prolonged logistics uncertainty is already feeding into agriculture via higher fuel and transport costs, interrupted fertilizer flows, and more cautious planting decisions. We noted that these pressures can reduce yields and lift supply-chain expenses, keeping food and agricultural commodity prices biased higher and raising food-security risks in import-dependent regions.

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