June 25, 2026
The CEO of Gold Star International, Abhishek Kotkar, discusses the season ahead. He weighs in on contending with a looming El Niño, rain-fed boosts to the ABARES projections, and why big pulse seedings are 'here to stay' after this year’s above-average acres.
The season started very dry, especially in Northern New South Wales and Queensland. There's not enough moisture for the growers to go in with chickpeas, so a lot of growers were reluctant. In the last three or four weeks, there have been patchy rains across Northern New South Wales and Queensland, which means there'll be some additional hectares going in on top of what ABARES has already forecasted. I'm expecting another 100 hectares (ha) to 200 ha.
Even with those extra rains, the soil moisture profile in Northern New South Wales and Queensland needs follow-up rain, as well as finishing rain. I'm expecting around 1.4 to 1.5 MMT of chickpeas this year. It's a significant drop compared to last year's crop (around 2.1/2.2 MMT) with the main reason that NSW and QLD have been very dry. Hectares have already been impacted but yields could be impacted too unless there is some consistent rain and follow-up rain.
ABARES has forecasted about 1.1 MMT, but due to the extra hectares I think it will be higher.
READ THE FULL ARTICLEKotkar believes that chickpea production will be between 1.4 and 1.5 MMT this year, above the ABARES estimate of 1.1 MMT.
Consistent rains across South Australia and Victoria are setting up a strong lentil season, with the potential for the crop to exceed 2 MMT.
Disclaimer: The opinions or views expressed in this publication are those of the authors or quoted persons. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Global Pulse Confederation or its members.
