More hummus, please: US chickpea acreage seen hitting record

Chicago

THE hummus craze is hitting the heartland, with US farmers preparing to sow more chickpeas than ever before. Plantings are expected to climb 53 per cent from the prior season to 498,000 acres, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates. While the amount is minuscule compared with major row crops - corn will be planted on 180 times the area - chickpea acreage has more than doubled since 2013, and this year's percentage increase in planting was among the largest of the commodities surveyed.

Chickpeas are part of a group of crops known as pulses - high-protein, low-fat dried seeds in the legume family. American consumption for the plants has been boosted by growing demand for gluten-free products and a trend toward "more healthful and varied snacking", the USDA said in a February report.