Australia Weather News

The Australian chick pea harvest cannot achieve the predicted yield say farmers, who believe the forecast has caused the current price slump.

There are concerns the predicted bumper 2016 Australian chick pea crop has been considerably overestimated and is responsible for a dramatic drop in the price that farmers will get for their produce.

Farmers say that Pulse Australia's forecast of a 1.7 million tonne yield is unrealistic, given the unseasonably wet winter conditions and water-logging across much of the growing region.

North-west New South Wales farmer Ed Colless said the predictions had put a hole in the chick pea market.

"The talk of the big harvest seems to have had a dampening effect," he said.

"Something in the order of [a drop of] 150 dollars a tonne for November delivered peas at the packer.

"It may come in, but I'd suggest that a 1.6 tonne to the hectare average at this stage of the game is very optimistic."

However Pulse Australia defended its prediction for 2016, although it conceded the latest report was now over a month old.

Chief executive officer Nick Goddard said the season had changed since research was done but blames improved production in India for the fall in global prices.

"I think the greatest determinant on chick pea prices has actually been the impact of India," Mr Goddard said.

"Because what has driven the prices up to well over $1,000 to $1,200 a tonne over the last 18 months or so, has been the shortages in India due to the drought, the lack of monsoons over the last two years."