IN THE past five years, the volume of mungbean produced in Australia has increased threefold, but the Australian Mungbean Association (AMA) president Rob Anderson believes there is room for further expansion over the next five years.
"We've set a goal to increase Australian production to average 170,000 tonnes by 2019," he said.
"The development of new varieties, dedicated industry development, accredited agronomists and some blue-sky research will support growers as they incorporate mungbeans into their crop rotations."
The National Mungbean Improvement Program (NMIP), a partnership between Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) plant breeders, the Grain Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and the AMA, released three new varieties that have underpinned the expansion of the industry in recent years.
"Coupled with the industry development work of Pulse Australia and our dedication to the Certified Seed Program and accredited agronomist training, growers have had access to the best possible resources to confidently grow this very fast maturing crop," Mr Anderson said.
To date, the NMIP has concentrated on traits such as higher yield, better disease resistance and improved harvestability in the new varieties, Crystal, Satin II and Jade-AU.
Most of the Australian crop is culinary grade and Asian consumers view mungbeans more as a vegetable than a grain.
The AMA has developed a five-year strategic plan in consultation with more than 150 stakeholders who aim to further develop existing markets and secure new markets elsewhere in Asia.
"Australian mungbeans are well received in the marketplace because of the priority we place on our quality product that is verified safe to eat and clean," Mr Anderson said.
"We can't let our guard down and as the industry expands, it is essential that we maintain this reputation through product traceability on grower declarations regarding input use.
"The new high-yielding varieties also require a renewed commitment to mungbean agronomy research.
"The AMA is encouraging research and extension projects that will further refine the best management practices
for irrigation, crop nutrition, and integrated pest and disease management in mungbeans."
The AMA heads into the next five years with well-founded optimism.
There is room to expand production in the traditional summer growing areas of Queensland and northern NSW, and the whole supply chain is ready to respond.
"We have put strategies in place to support the expansion of the mungbean industry, and growers can be very confident to include mungbean in their rotation, taking less than 100 days to produce a high-quality protein food," Mr Anderson said.