Expanded Acreage Lifts U.S. Pea, Lentil, and Chickpea Production in 2025

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its latest estimates for U.S. pulse crop production for the 2025 season on 12 January 2026. While several crops saw downward revisions compared to the December 2025 report, overall pulse production in the United States remains higher than last year, supported by expanded harvested acreage across most categories.

Peas

According to the January 2026 USDA report, the United States is expected to produce 18.48 million hundredweight (CWT) of dry edible peas in 2025. When compared to the December 2025 estimate, this indicates a decrease of almost 2.10 million CWT. Production is still higher than the 17.03 million CWT recorded in 2024, despite this month-to-month decline. An estimated 1.063 million acres of dry peas will be harvested in 2025, an 11% increase over the previous year that contributed to the overall increase in output.

Lentil

U.S. lentil production for the 2025 crop year is estimated at 10.56 million CWT in the January 2026 report. This figure is slightly lower than the December 2025 estimate of 11.08 million CWT, but still marks a significant increase compared to the 9.05 million CWT produced in 2024. The harvested area for lentils in 2025 is projected at 949 thousand acres, up 5% from the 2024 crop, indicating continued expansion in lentil acreage.

Chickpeas

The USDA estimates U.S. chickpea production in 2025 at 6.84 million CWT, according to the January 2026 report. This is down from the previous estimate of 7.43 million CWT but represents a notable 20% increase compared with production levels in 2024. The harvested area for chickpeas in 2025 is estimated at 520 thousand acres, up 5% from last year, contributing to the year-over-year growth in output.

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