Australia: Harvest peaks, rain buoys mungbean hopes

Australia’s winter pulse harvest is near its peak as headers roll into faba bean and lentil paddocks in south-eastern Australia. With generally much lower yields being seen this harvest compared with last year’s bumper season, growers across Australia are selling pulses to generate cash flow. This has put some supply-side pressure on lentils, but the market for faba beans has kicked on solid export and domestic buying, and export demand remains buoyant for the modest chickpea crop as harvest of the northern pulse nears its end. Production prospects for mungbeans have improved markedly following soaking rain in some parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales in recent days. On the research front, Dr Abeya Tefera is back from a trip to the US which has bolstered the interface between Agriculture Victoria’s pulse-breeding program and the use of AI. The Qld and NSW chickpea harvest is close to over, and while yields have been average or below, quality has been excellent. Packers ...