Month: August 2026

Australia: a much smaller crop after two strong years

Australia has been the swing supplier of desi chickpeas for two seasons, and that is about to change. ABARES has forecast the current crop at roughly 1.08 million tonnes from 732,000 hectares, against a near record 2.19 million tonnes the season prior.

The cut is driven by very poor planting conditions across northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, where subsoil moisture was largely absent through the planting window.

Prices have responded. Brisbane bids firmed through the middle of the year on renewed buying from India and Pakistan, and growers have been slow to commit new crop tonnage while yield uncertainty persists. Because Australian production is almost entirely desi, the effect is concentrated in the South Asian trade rather than in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern kabuli markets.

India: policy and grower behaviour still set the tone

India remains the dominant producer, accounting for between two thirds and three quarters of world output depending on the season. Desi dominates area and volume. Kabuli occupies a smaller but higher value segment aimed at export.

Supply has recovered. Domestic production is strong enough that projected imports have fallen to a fraction of the prior year, supported by a customs duty on desi chana and a further increase in the minimum support price for the rabi season.

Stock is being held back. Growers have been withholding tonnage in anticipation of firmer values, and a below average monsoon forecast has added a risk premium to the back end of the year.

Indian mandi dynamics and policy decisions continue to set the floor for global chickpea sentiment, kabuli included.

Argentina: a record campaign now thinning out

Argentina has just completed a historic kabuli campaign, with production estimated between 240,000 and 260,000 tonnes. Around 70 percent of the exportable balance had already shipped by mid year, leaving the remaining 30 percent to serve international buyers through to the new cycle in October and November.

Values have stayed soft under global oversupply, but availability is the more practical constraint. Booking space and securing empty containers has been an ongoing difficulty out of Argentine ports, which makes lead time, rather than price, the variable most likely to disrupt a fourth quarter delivery schedule.

Turkey and Russia: calibre is the real story

Turkey typically produces in the range of 500,000 to 550,000 tonnes, but recent crops have delivered a lower proportion of large calibre material than the six year average. Russian kabuli has been the cheapest origin on the market, drawing volume toward it, although European duties limit how much of that product can reach EU processors.

The combined effect is a market that is well supplied in 7 and 8 mm sizes and noticeably tighter above 9 mm. Manufacturers specifying large calibre kabuli for canning, retail packing or premium foodservice face a very different supply picture from those milling to flour or producing hummus, where calibre is largely irrelevant.

Where the demand is going

Global chickpea volume sat near 19.7 million tonnes in 2025 and is forecast to grow steadily through the next decade. India absorbs the bulk of world production domestically as dal and besan. Outside India, growth is concentrated in a narrower set of applications:

• Hummus and dips. Still the largest single driver of kabuli demand in North America and Europe.
• Canned and cooked chickpeas. Retail and foodservice, where calibre and skin integrity determine grade.
• Falafel and prepared frozen formats. Increasingly manufactured outside the Middle East.
• Roasted and coated snacks. A fast growing outlet for medium calibre material.
• Chickpea flour. Gluten free bakery, pasta, extruded snacks and batter systems.

Chickpea flour in particular has moved from a specialty line to a mainstream reformulation tool, giving manufacturers protein and fibre contribution alongside a clean label position.

Aseptic fruit puree has become the default format for manufacturers who need consistent fruit character without the cold chain. Here is a practical look at four of the most widely specified tropical grades, what separates them, and how to decide which belongs in your formulation.

Why aseptic, and why it matters to your formulation

Aseptic processing sterilises the puree and the packaging separately, then fills under sterile conditions. The result is a product that holds for 18 to 24 months at ambient temperature with no preservatives and no frozen storage. For a bakery, beverage or dairy plant, that changes the economics of fruit. Freezer space is freed up, inventory can be held closer to production, and batch to batch variation narrows because the fruit was processed at peak maturity rather than held.

The trade off is that once a drum is opened, the clock starts. Aseptic integrity protects the product until the seal is broken, so purees are best drawn down in a single production run or transferred immediately to chilled or frozen holding.

Totapuri mango puree

Totapuri is the workhorse mango of southern India, easily identified by its elongated shape and beak shaped tip. The puree runs at a minimum of 14 degrees Brix with acidity between 0.40 and 0.60 percent as citric acid and a pH of 3.5 to 4.2. Colour is a bright yellow, and Bostwick consistency sits between 8 and 13 cm per 30 seconds.

What makes Totapuri valuable is not sweetness but balance. The sweet and tart profile carries through dilution, which is why juice and nectar manufacturers use it as a blending base. It holds its own in a formulation where the mango has to be recognisable at 10 or 15 percent inclusion.

Best suited to

• Juice and nectar blending where cost per unit of fruit character matters
• Ready to drink beverages and mango based drinks
• Squashes, jams and fruit bars
• Applications where a tart edge is wanted to cut sweetness

Alphonso mango puree

Alphonso is the premium Indian cultivar, grown in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The puree carries a minimum of 16 degrees Brix, acidity of 0.45 to 0.80 percent, pH of 3.5 to 4.2, and a deep golden yellow colour. Bostwick consistency of 6.5 to 12.5 cm per 30 seconds gives it a noticeably thicker body than Totapuri.

The difference on the palate is aromatic rather than simply sweeter. Alphonso brings a floral, resinous top note that survives heat treatment, which is why it tends to be specified where mango is the headline flavour rather than a supporting one. If your label says mango and the consumer expects to taste it, this is usually the grade.

Best suited to

• Ice cream, yoghurt, kulfi and dessert bases
• Bakery and pastry fillings, marmalades and fruit cheese
• Premium nectars and single fruit beverages
• Baby food and confectionery centres

Banana puree

Produced from ripe Cavendish bananas grown in the subtropical regions of southern India, the fruit is hand peeled, mashed, homogenised, de aerated and thermally processed. The puree runs at a minimum of 20 degrees Brix with acidity of 0.45 to 0.60 percent and a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, giving a creamy white colour and a thick, homogeneous texture. Shelf life is 18 months at ambient temperature.

Banana is chemically the most demanding of the four. The higher pH means it sits outside the naturally acidic range that protects mango, and polyphenol oxidase drives rapid browning if the fruit is mishandled before processing. Good banana puree is therefore a strong signal of a well run line. Where a lower pH is needed for a specific formulation, an acidified grade is available.

Best suited to

• Smoothies, shakes and dairy drinks
• Baby food and infant cereals
• Ice cream, yoghurt and frozen dessert bases
• Bakery applications where banana contributes both flavour and moisture

Totapuri mango puree concentrate

The concentrate takes single strength Totapuri puree to a minimum of 28 degrees Brix total soluble solids, with acidity between 0.10 and 0.90 percent and a pH below 4.0. Colour runs yellow to golden yellow. It ships in aseptic bag in drum at 228 kg, loading 80 drums per 20 foot container.

The case for concentrate is logistical. You are moving roughly half the water for the same fruit solids, which reduces freight cost per unit of finished product and cuts the warehouse footprint. For manufacturers running high volume beverage lines with reliable water dosing, the saving is meaningful. For smaller batch operations, single strength puree is often simpler to control.

Comparing the four at a glance

What to check before you commit to a supplier

• Microbiology. Total plate count and yeast and mould below 10 CFU per gram, with E. coli, coliforms and Salmonella absent, is the standard for aseptic fruit. Anything looser deserves a question.
• Certification. A recognised GFSI scheme such as BRCGS, backed by HACCP and ISO 9001, tells you the system is audited rather than self declared. Kosher, Halal and organic certification matter if your end market requires them.
• Packing formats. Aseptic bag in drum at 215 to 228 kg suits continuous lines. For smaller batches, 20 kg bag in box and canned formats reduce waste from partially used drums.
• Seasonality. Indian mango processing is concentrated in a short window. Purchasing plans that ignore the crop calendar tend to be the ones caught short in the fourth quarter.
• Documentation. Commercial invoice, certificate of origin, packing list, certificate of analysis and the relevant phytosanitary and organic certificates should be standard, not something assembled on request.

Getting the specification right the first time

Most reformulation work on fruit puree comes down to three things that were not agreed at the start: the Brix range you can actually work with, the consistency your line needs, and the pack size that matches your batch. Settle those before samples are shipped and the evaluation becomes a straight sensory decision rather than a process troubleshooting exercise.

Tradelink International supplies aseptic fruit purees of Indian origin alongside seeds, ancient grains, pulses, specialty flours and dried fruit ingredients. Every line is backed by BRCGS, HACCP, ISO 9001, USDA NOP and NPOP organic, Kosher and Halal certification, and offers are quoted CIF to your destination port.