Traders are working to establish export pathways from the west for legumes, such as faba beans, which have not been viewed as a viable cash crop.
Sunrise Commodities managing director Scott Merson is working on export pathways. Photo: Liz Wells/Grain Central
Market access has been touted as a significant barrier to legume production. Almost 75 per cent of respondents to the 2023 grower survey conducted as part of the GRDC investment ‘Closing the economic yield gap of grain legumes’ nominated commodity price and market access as the most important areas in need of further research and investment.
Sunrise Commodities managing director Scott Merson says legumes such as faba beans have traditionally been planted by only the more adventurous growers or as an afterthought, with WA production estimated at just 20,000 tonnes.
“The restriction has been being able to market the crop,” he says. “Growers have been left with a small domestic feed market, because they haven’t been able to be handled for export.
“Now they’ve got this pathway to export, they can be quite a valuable cash crop, which is what we’re seeing in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, where fabas are quite common and increasing in area year-on-year.”
Early planting
The trick to getting premiums for faba beans, which are in high demand from Egypt, was to sow them earlier – rather than whenever it fits in the program – for harvest in October and shipping in early November.
Mr Merson says Egyptian buyers wanted bright, fresh beans whose colour has not deteriorated through being kept in storage.
In 2024, Sunrise Commodities shipped 700 tonnes of faba beans directly from the Port of Albany to Egypt, with all but two loads achieving the top grade. “We’re actually seeing excellent quality for WA – probably the highest quality beans in the country this year,” he says.
Mr Merson is working with Commodity Ag, which has a bulk grain storage terminal north of Albany and plans to ship another 5000 tonnes or more of faba beans from the port in March.
See also: GroundCover™ story – Profitable legumes becoming a reality.
