4/7/2016 ChickpeaProductionandMarketing|Chickpea|GovernmentofSaskatchewan

Production and Marketing

Chickpea

Adaptation and Varieties

Fertilization

Seeding Considerations

Crop Protection

Harvesting Considerations

Production and Marketing

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Saskatchewan's total acreage devoted to chickpea production has increased from 2,400 ha (6,000 acres)
in 1996 to over 70,000 ha (172,000 acres) in 2005.

Production area peaked at over 400,000 ha (1.1 million acres) in Saskatchewan in 2001, but has
subsequently declined in the face of lower world prices and the high production risk caused by plant
disease and chickpeas long growing season requirement.

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World chickpea production and exports

World chickpea production has ranged from seven - nine million tonnes in recent years. Although
chickpea production is approximately four times larger than that of lentil, chickpea world trade is
similar to lentil in that India produces and consumes approximately four to six million tonnes of mainly
desi chickpea each year.

Total world exports have ranged from 500,000 - 1 million tonnes in 1996-2003.

The major chickpea-exporting countries are Turkey, Canada, Australia, Myanmar (Burma) and Mexico
(Figure 4). Exports from Turkey and Mexico trended lower in the 1990s, while Australia enjoyed
significant increases until crop losses due to disease reduced their production. Canadian chickpea
exports have ranged from 6,000-150,000 tonnes in the period from 1996-2004.

Market Opportunities
The major chickpea-importing countries are:

India
Bangladesh
Spain
Pakistan
Algeria

Countries importing premium quality kabuli chickpea include:

Iran
Italy
Libya
Lebanon
the U.S.
Spain
Italy

Countries importing both kabuli and desi types include:

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India
Bangladesh
Pakistan

India and Pakistan are responsible for over half of world imports and import large volumes of mainly
desi chickpea if their domestic crop is small. Due to their close proximity, Myanmar (Burma) and
Australia have a marketing advantage over Canada in the Indian subcontinent.

Significant opportunities exist for Canada in the American, European and Mediterranean chickpea
markets.

Marketing
For list of special crop marketing companies, please see the Special Crop Marketing Company Synopsis.

Economics of Production
The Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food publication, Crop Planning Guide Specialty Crops, contains
information on projected costs of production and expected returns on desi and kabuli chickpea in
Saskatchewan.

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