Lentils Market June 2026: Masoor Weak, Greens Under Weather and Acreage Pressure

Demand from dal mills is supporting parts of the pulses complex, but lentils – especially masoor – remain under pressure as buyers avoid large forward coverage and supplies are comfortable. Internationally, green and red lentil prices are soft to sideways, with Canadian bids easing and weather risk in the Prairies partly offset by ample global stocks and record Australian output. Lentils are trading in a mixed but generally soft environment. In India, mills are prioritising urad and chana, leaving masoor sidelined as consumers resist current price levels and rely on existing stocks. Globally, Canadian green and red lentil FOB prices have drifted lower in recent weeks, while small green Chinese lentils are steady to slightly firmer. Weather in the Canadian Prairies is volatile but not yet threatening yields, and expanded acreage in recent seasons plus strong Australian supply continue to cap rallies.

Prices & Spreads

Lentil pricing reflects a soft undertone for masoor and mild pressure on bulk green and red origins. In Indian mandis, masoor (whole lentil) has eased compared with earlier in the season as limited buying interest meets comfortable availability. At the same time, dal mills are directing more demand to urad and chana, which helps explain the relative underperformance of masoor in the pulses basket.

Export-oriented markets show similar softness. Canadian large green and red lentils have weakened over the past week, with Canadian wholesale bids for large greens around the lower end of their recent range and down roughly 7% week-on-week. Meanwhile, Chinese small green lentils (FOB Beijing) are broadly steady, with conventional product holding its level and organic grades edging slightly higher in recent days, indicating more resilient niche demand.

(USD and CNY prices converted into EUR using approximate spot FX rates.)

Supply & Demand

In India, the short-term balance for masoor is comfortable. Traders report that buyers are avoiding large purchases at current levels and limiting coverage to near-term needs. This selective buying contrasts with ongoing mill demand for urad and chana, which is supporting those markets and highlighting a clear preference shift within the pulses complex.

Globally, supply-side signals for lentils are broadly bearish. Australian production is expected to remain very large, with recent industry reports pointing to record or near-record lentil crops and unsold stocks weighing on prices. In Canada, official planting intentions indicate a modest reduction in lentil area for 2026, especially in Alberta, but this follows several years of strong acreage expansion and still leaves overall supply comfortable. Current export price softness suggests that carry-out stocks and competition from Australia are more than offsetting any acreage cuts.

Fundamentals & Weather

Fundamental sentiment for lentils is shaped by three interacting factors: selective demand in South Asia, elevated global stocks, and weather volatility in key origins. In India, dal mills are cautious on masoor as long as domestic prices do not offer a clear discount to alternative pulses or imports, reinforcing the "buy hand-to-mouth" approach mentioned by traders. This behaviour dampens the potential for any sharp near-term rebound in masoor values.

In the Canadian Prairies, recent weather has been highly variable, with periods of heavy rain and severe storms across parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. While localized hail and flooding can cause field losses, the broader moisture picture is, for now, supportive of crop development rather than threatening it. Seasonal climate outlooks for June–August suggest an active pattern with bouts of heavy rainfall but no widespread drought signal, implying yield risk is two-sided rather than outright bullish.

Short-Term Outlook

Looking ahead, the pulses market is expected to remain selective, with demand from dal mills and shifting import parity driving price action. For masoor, the combination of weak domestic buying in India and comfortable global supply points to a sideways-to-soft bias unless weather issues in Canada or Australia materially change the outlook. Any improvement in masoor demand would likely first show up through narrowing discounts to chana and urad in key consuming regions.

For green lentils, technical indicators in Canadian cash markets point to a bearish near-term tone after recent support levels were broken, and record Australian supply continues to limit upside. Red lentils face similar headwinds, with sufficient carryover and competitive offers from multiple origins. Overall, buyers retain the upper hand into late June, but should remain alert to localized weather shocks in the Canadian Prairies that could quickly tighten new-crop expectations.

Trading Guidance

• Dal mills / Indian buyers: Continue selective coverage in masoor; use current softness to secure near-term needs but avoid aggressive forward booking until import parity or domestic spreads clearly turn in favour of lentils versus urad and chana.
• Importers in MENA / Asia: Take advantage of soft green and red lentil FOB values from Canada and Australia to extend coverage modestly into Q3, but stagger purchases given ongoing weather volatility in the Prairies.
• Producers in Canada: Consider incremental hedging on rallies, as large Australian supply and cautious South Asian demand cap upside; retain some unpriced new-crop tonnage to benefit if severe weather or logistics issues tighten the market later in the season.

3-Day Directional Outlook (Indicative, in EUR)

• India (masoor, domestic market): Slight downward bias as mills favour urad and chana; small, orderly declines more likely than sharp breaks.
• Canada FOB West Coast (green & red lentils): Mostly stable to slightly softer, reflecting recent technical weakness and comfortable export availability.
• China FOB (small green lentils): Stable with mild firming risk in organic segment due to niche demand and limited premium supply.