Shiny, happy future for Queensland mungbeans

Strong international demand for local mungbeans has encouraged new Queensland-based research that will help strengthen the industry in Australia.
Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) Agri-Science Queensland’s Crop and Food Science Division general manager, Dr Paul Grieve, said the sector had developed high quality mungbean varieties after receiving interest from markets in Asia and Europe.
“Investment by the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) and the Grains Research Development Corporation (GRDC) in the National Mungbean Improvement Program is returning a benefit-cost ratio of over 18 to one, as shown by a recent economic analysis conducted by GRDC,” Dr Grieve said.
“Research has led to improvements in yields and grain quality attributes such as seed size, evenness and lustre, which has resulted in increasing profits for this regional industry. It has also increased global demand for Queensland-grown mungbeans,” he said.
“Australia’s mungbean industry produces approximately 60,000 tonnes annually, has a value of $60-$70 million, and exports 98 per cent of its production to international markets.
“Within farming systems, the crop provides benefits in improving soil health and reducing nutrient needs for cereals and sugar cane when grown in rotation.”
Dr Grieve said in the past three years, industry and grower confidence in the crop and new varieties had seen planting areas increase by almost 50 per cent to about 66,000 hectares across Queensland and northern New South Wales.
“To translate research into such tangible benefits in terms of productivity improvements, regional profits and enhanced exports is exactly what agricultural research is all about,” he said.
“The National Mungbean Improvement Program’s latest variety release – Crystal – is now sown by 90 per cent of the nation’s mungbean farmers and has produced a 20 per cent yield gain over older varieties.”
DEEDI senior research scientist Col Douglas said the Crystal grain was popular amongst discriminating international buyers.
“Increasing the nation’s mungbean production to a consistent 100,000 tonnes per year is a major industry objective,” he said.
“With these major consuming countries expecting population growth, global demand for mungbeans is forecast to rise over the next 20 years.”
A recent international exchange of mungbean breeding lines between DEEDI and the
World Vegetable Centre (formerly known as the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre or AVRDC) is providing further opportunities for the breeding program to deliver even better varieties with superior yield and disease resistance for Australian growers, and larger seed size and improved quality for mungbean markets overseas.
DEEDI scientists Dr Merrill Ryan and Will Martin recently travelled to Taiwan with growers, processors and marketers on a GRDC/Australian Mungbean Association industry study tour to select new breeding lines.
“Over 250 new lines have been imported so far, and will be characterised and evaluated for Australian conditions,” Dr Ryan said.
“This international research collaboration provides the raw material essential for our breeding program to continue to deliver new varieties that will grow the Australian industry.”