Pulse producers are hopeful a free-trade agreement between India and Australia could lead to a reopening of Australia’s largest chickpea market.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday the two countries’ shared commitment to signing a free-trade agreement by the end of the year.
The agreement is expected to update and expand an interim free-trade agreement signed between India and Australia in April last year.
Grain Producers Australia southern region director Andrew Weidemann said lentils had replaced chickpeas as the dominant pulse crop planted in the Wimmera and Mallee in recent years due to a drop in chickpea prices.