ive odours in lentil deliveries. Cereal grains and vetch are particularly difficult to clean out of lentil grain so it is important to take all measure to prevent contamination. Clean all harvesters, grain handling equipment and storage bins prior to harvesting each lentil variety.
Do not store lentil in grain bags (known also as silo, sausage or harvest bags) except as a very, very short-term option. Despite some success stories with lentil in grain bags, there have also been copious failures when appropriate precautions were not taken. Markets have rejected pulse grain because of objectionable taints and odours acquired during improper storage in a grain bag, which is a sealed storage with no aeration.
Lentil pods mature from the bottom of the plant (earliest flowers) to the top.
Croptopping for weed control usually means a portion of the lentil grain will still be immature (green).
Green kernel (right) from premature desiccation of red lentil. A mx. 1% is allowable in receivals.
Desiccation of PBA Flash lentils. Note the green plants growing in the previous wheel tracks.
Desiccation has the added benefit of drying down broadleaf weeds present at harvest.
Lentil is short and prone to lodging. Standing cereal stubble can help improve overall harvest efficiency.
Choose the correct harvesting equipment and settings to maximise grain yield.
Lentils often benefit from grain cleaning to remove contaminants such as cereals and weed seeds.
On-farm storage of lentils increases marketing options. Avoid the use of grain storage bags.
Marketing, enduses and standards
Lentil is grown only to supply human consumption markets, therefore achieving the high quality standard is essential. Australia is a significant exporter of red lentil, most of which is sold into the Indian sub-continent markets. The Australian red lentil prices can vary markedly and are strongly influenced by global markets and environmental conditions. A price of $400–500/t delivered is realistic for budgeting purposes, provided the product meets receival standards.
Green lentil is grown in smaller quantities and most is sold into markets in the Middle-East. Two new varieties released for the 2015 season, PBA Giant (a high yielding large green lentil) and PBA Greenfield (a high yielding disease resistant medium-sized green lentil) have increased the variety choice for growers and provided access to different markets.
Factors that may influence marketing decisions for Australian lentil farmers include:
- harvest quality and on-farm storage capacity
- the carryover stocks in Australia and the quality of this grain
- the farm’s proximity to local processors.
Lentil is traditionally the highest value winter pulse option for growers in the southern region. Some small-seeded varieties like PBA Hurricane XT, PBA Bounty and the superseded varieties of Nipper and Northfields have sometimes commanded a price premium. Large-seeded types like Aldinga can attract either a price discount or a price premium, according to supply and demand drivers. Prices for variety size categories can also vary from season to season based on supply and demand. Between 2010 and 2015 there has been little difference in the prices paid to Australian farmer for the different sized lentils.
The price of lentil as a commodity is relatively stable, rising and falling in line with supply and demand. Traditionally there were stronger market demands prior to the Ramadan festive season but the timing of the festival now has less impact on world price. The relatively small tonnage traded also means that any delay in harvest or shipping in an exporting country that threatens a contract being met can result in a ‘short’ or ‘spike’ in the market. These are normally short term and reflect a contractual supply problem rather than a fluctuation in the lentil market.
Variable costs of production for lentil can be higher than those applicable to other pulses, like field peas or lupins, depending on the inputs required to grow a high quality crop.
World production of lentil now exceeds 4.5 million tonnes annually, of