Australia likely to join India’s pigeonpea supply chain

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Farmers Down Under are keen to grow tur for the Indian market and could emerge a key supplier as in chickpeas and lentils

By Vishwanath Kulkarni

Updated - November 06, 2026 at 07:13 PM.

After Brazil, Australia is set to emerge as a potential new source of pigeonpea (tur) for the Indian market, with its farmers showing interest in cultivating the pulses variety to tap into the growing demand of the largest consumer.

Australia is already an established supplier of key pulses such as chickpeas and lentils to India and could expand its presence in the market by adding pigeonpea to its export basket in the coming years, according to the trade experts.

“Australia has the potential to emerge as the major supplier of tur to India as they have enough land. Farmers in Australia are keen to grow tur for the Indian market. In fact the quality of tur produced in Australia is good,” said Satish Upadhyay, Hon Secretary, India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the apex trade body.

Good potential to grow

Australia is likely to approach the Indian government soon seeking permission to export tur. Their production is about a few thousand tonnes, but has the potential to grow about a million tonnes, Upadhyay, who recently visited the key growing regions near Melbourne and Brisbane, said.

Pigeonpea is currently grown in Australia largely as a rotational crop, primarily for its nitrogen-fixing properties, which help improve soil fertility and benefit subsequent crops. However, the growing interest in the Indian market could encourage farmers to look at it as a commercial crop, opening up opportunities to expand acreage and production.

Australia has considerable agricultural land resources and the potential to scale up pigeonpea cultivation, offering India an additional sourcing option at a time when diversifying import origins has become increasingly important.

Demand rising faster

Though India’s tur production has grown from around 25.61 lakh tonnes in 2015-16 to about 35.92 lakh tonnes in 2025-26 (third advance estimates), the demand has been growing at a faster pace.

While the government was targetting a production of 40 lakh tonnes for the current 2026-27 season, the deficit rains and drought in the key producing states of Karnataka and Maharashtra are set to shrink the tur crop, which is likely to be between 20-25 lakh tonnes, as per the trade estimates.

Tur from Brazil is expected to hit the Indian markets soon. India imports tur from countries such as Mozambique, Myanmar, Tanzania, Sudan and Malawi among others. In the first seven month of calendar 2026 (Jan-July) tur imports were up 44 per cent at 5.79 lakh tonnes over the same period last year’s 4.01 lakh tonnes. India’s tur imports stood at over 13.25 lakh tonnes during calendar 2025.

Published on November 6, 2026

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