Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is the second most important cool-season food legume worldwide, and is the largest pulse crop in Australia after lupin in terms of planting area and production. Chickpeas are an annual leguminous crop, used for human and animal consumption. There are two groups of chickpeas grown in Australia: desi and kabuli.

In Western Australia, chickpeas are mainly grown in the northern and eastern parts of the cropping region although a small industry also exists for a specialty large-seeded kabuli chickpea, grown under irrigation in the Ord River irrigation area.