The lentil plant is relatively tolerant to various types of climate, including the arid one, and is therefore cultivated almost all over the world. The "Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database" (FAOSTAT) reported that the world production of lentils for the calendar year 2013 was 4, 975, 621 tons, mainly from Canada, India and Turkey.
About a quarter of the world's lentil production comes from India, most of which is consumed within the domestic market. Canada is the largest exporter and especially the region of "Saskatchewan" (about 99% of Canadian lentils). The "Statistics Canada" stated that the national production of lentils for the year 2009/10 reached the record of 1.5 million tons. The most cultivated variety is the "Lentil Laird".
The states of Washington (in Palouse, an eastern region) and Idaho, with its shopping center in Pullman (Washington), constitute the area of greatest production of US lentils. Even Montana and North Dakota, although to a lesser extent, are good producers of lentils. The "National Agricultural Statistics Service", in 2007, cited a production of 154, 500 tons.
Italy has only a marginal production of lentils, although many of them, like the "Lentil of Norcia", are of excellent quality.
