Record mung bean crop forecast

The Australian Mungbean Association (AMA) is forecasting record production this season.

A poor harvest in Indonesia and drought followed by floods in China has seen a huge spike in demand for mung beans.

James Hunt of Australian Fresh Exports said increased demand has forced prices up and inquiries from farmers considering mung beans as a summer cash crop was coming from as far afield as Cape York and Eyre Peninsula.

"We are looking at a failed crop in China, which has meant increased demand, very high prices and we are very lucky their consumption period ties in with our harvest," he said.

"We are potentially looking at 200 to 250,000 tonnes being a record crop, that's up on about a 100,000 tonnes from last year being our previous record.

"Currently prices are running at $1,150 a tonne for number one grade, and we are looking at about $850 for the lowest grade."

The main crop is planted over summer and agronomists say the biggest challenges will be the availability of quality seed, inoculum and fungicide, and soil moisture.

The AMA and Mr Hunt expressed concern that with many new entrants into the industry it was critical that Australia's highly respected reputation as a grower of quality mung beans was maintained.

"One of our main risk factors is the degradation of our quality system and the beans being treated as a bulk commodity, rather than the speciality food crop that it is," Mr Hunt said.

"The AMA has set these standards, we have a code of ethics and a code of hygiene and our trading standards which have given us a platform to grow this mung bean to the levels we see today."

"We have always got other countries looking to see what we are doing, to take our market share.

"Burma for example is also looking at a large crop, lower rice prices means higher mung bean plantings in Burma; however, Australia is the preferred origin."

Newly elected president of the Australian Mungbean Association Mark Schmidt said the success of the breeding and quality assurance programs developed by the AMA had transformed the mung bean from "mongrel bean to money bean".

"We have had newer improved varieties, such as the crystal and the jade varieties," he said.

"They are higher yielding they have got better disease resistance, they are taller, the pods are on the top of the plant amd they are a lot easier for the grower to harvest.

"In addition, the AMA has invested in an accredited agronomist scheme, growers can't afford to lose money these days and we are getting a lot more irrigated farmers growing mung beans so that is increasing the professionalism."

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