Australia grows two varieties of chickpeas — the desi chickpea, which is primarily exported, and the kabuli chickpea, which is typically the tinned chickpea consumers buy in supermarkets. The area of chickpea grown in NSW decreased again in 2023-24 due to a combination of low pulse prices prior to planting and forecast weather-related growing season risks. Limited rainfall from mid-August across the key northern NSW chickpea growing areas was the key driver of the reduced planted area of 150,000ha, down 6% year-on-year, ⁶ with some farmers deciding not to plant at all. Limited in-crop rain restricted yield growth, with the state average yield at 1.1t/ha, just under the 10-year average. However, despite the smaller volume, traders reported that crop quality was excellent. ^{116 123} Total production landed at 165,000 tonnes. ⁶

Faba bean production was down 24% year-on-year to 61,500 tonnes, a function of lesser area planted and a yield-limiting lack of rain during the growing season. ⁶ Heavy rains during the later part of the harvest damaged some late crops however, the majority were harvested ahead of the rain. In the case of lentils, production remained relatively steady at 15,000 tonnes, 5% down on the record crop of 2022-23, and lupin production declined by 14% to 60,000 tonnes as the estimated seeded area for lupins was cut by 10%, the smallest area since 2019-20. ⁶