Top Lentils Producing Countries

Lentils (Lens culinaris) are one of the oldest cultivated crops, with archaeological evidence tracing their domestication back over 8,000 years to the Fertile Crescent, particularly in regions of present-day Syria, Turkey, and Iraq. From there, lentil cultivation spread throughout the Mediterranean, South Asia, and eventually to Europe and the Americas. Today, the top producers of lentils are Canada, which leads the world in both acreage and export due to its vast prairies and advanced agricultural technology, followed by India, which is the largest consumer and a major producer, especially in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Other significant producers include Turkey, Australia, and the United States. Lentils remain a crucial crop globally, valued for their high protein content, adaptability to semi-arid climates, and their role in sustainable agriculture as nitrogen-fixing legumes.

Data from United Nations FAO Stat