May 25, 2002

The people who grow, process and trade Australia¹s mungbeans -­ and the scientists who help them do it ­ will meet in Dalby next month to plan the industry¹s future over the next five years.

The meeting of the Australian Mungbean Association on June 5-6 will review the success of the industry strategic plan that began in 1997 and ends on June 30 and discuss ways of overcoming critical factors that still affect the industry.

Association chairman Brian Algate says the Australian mungbean industry has changed considerably since the first plan was written but there are still challenges aplenty, such as "new varieties that suit irrigation and spring planting, stand like cotton and yield two tonnes to the hectare.

"One of the goals of the strategic plan now ending was to lift the Australian crop to 50,000 and the industry generally has been able to achieve this despite disappointing seasons over the last decade," Mr Algate said.

"Last season was dreadful. But if we see a good summer, with decent rainfall, we could end up with 100,000 tonnes and the mungbean industry now has the infrastructure and marketing ability to handle a crop of that size.

"While Australia is fast becoming recognised as a good supplier to the world market, and our commitment to clean and green production is appreciated, that market is changing too. India once bought at the bottom end of the market but now, like everyone else, it is looking for quality.

"The Australian industry needs to assess the changing market, decide where our marketing impetus should increase and develop a complete export package that can be promoted internationally."
 
Mr Algate said the industry was looking to the five year Mungbean Improvement Project ­ begun in 1998 with the support of growers and the Federal Government through the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) ­ for more valuable new varieties like the recently developed White
Gold, which will be part of the future of the industry.

White Gold promised the Australian industry access to the higher international prices available for premium sprouting grade mungbeans.

Added to the improved agronomy flowing from the accreditation program, better varieties would improve grower confidence in the crop.

"Variety development will be one of the issues addressed at the strategic planning meeting in Dalby on June 5 and 6 but others will include continuity of supply, better management in agronomy, overseas market development and funding opportunities," Mr Algate said.

"We have to do something about bruchids (bean weevils), which seems to be widespread now between North Queensland and southern NSW, while grain loss at harvesting is still a major challenge for the industry.

"It could be that we look at accreditation of harvesting contractors similar to that offered for agronomists.

"Accreditation of agronomists has been a major step forward for the mungbean industry. We are spending a lot of our budget on educating growers and agronomists alike to be better, more knowledgeable and more efficient because we recognise the need for best management practice."