Lentil Production Set for Second Record Crop
ABARES forecasts Australian lentil output to rise 5 per cent to 2.3 million tonnes in 2026-27, following a record last season.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Agriculture
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Australian lentil production is forecast to rise 5 per cent to a second consecutive record of 2.3 million tonnes in 2026-27, according to ABARES. South Australia is expected to exceed one million tonnes for the first time in five years.
Why it matters
The forecast reflects continued expansion in planted area and favourable growing conditions in South Australia and Victoria. Production has climbed from under 400,000 tonnes in 2010 to more than 2.2 million tonnes today.
ABARES projects national lentil area of 600,000 hectares and a 7.8 per cent overall growth in production. The forecast depends on disease control holding, with some fungicide supply and application delays still unresolved.
The players
ABARES
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences is the federal government agency that publishes the national crop production forecasts.
PIRSA
The South Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regions oversees agriculture and monitors crop disease across the state.
Elders
Elders is an Australian agribusiness company providing rural services, marketing and advice to farmers.
The details
Crops were sown into early soil moisture, and rainfall in June and July alongside mild winter temperatures advanced crops up to four weeks ahead of normal. Yorke Peninsula is expected to produce about 380,650 tonnes from 165,500 hectares, while eastern and western Eyre Peninsula are each forecast at 180,500 tonnes. PIRSA reported low to moderate levels of botrytis grey mould, ascochyta, chocolate spot and sclerotinia.
Timeline
June and July 2026: Average to above-average rainfall fell across South Australian cropping regions.
September 2026: ABARES released its Australian Crop Report forecasting record lentil production.
Early October 2026: Elders published a cropping market update on lentil export prospects.
Season Trajectory
The forecast extends a series that has lifted Australian lentil output from under 400,000 tonnes in 2010 to more than 2.2 million tonnes, as recorded in ABARES crop reporting. A second consecutive record would reinforce that the sector's growth is sustained rather than a one-season spike.
A larger national lentil crop can add supply to domestic and export markets, which may affect prices for grain buyers and processors. Growers and buyers should watch fungicide availability and disease levels, since the forecast assumes current control holds.
The takeaway
Record lentil production depends on continued disease management and favourable seasons. Watching fungicide supply and disease reports will show whether the forecast holds through harvest.
Further reading
For more on farm production trends, see Agriculture coverage across Australia.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Stock Journal.
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