Growers try new grain

 “Australian quinoa imports increased 137% in 2013-14 year-on-year as consumers discovered this previously little known product,” says National Australia Bank’s general manager agribusiness Khan Horne.

Prices hit $8/kg in early 2014, up from $2.50/kg two years before. Several growers in Western Australia and Tasmania, and researchers at Western Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Food, have harvested crops and “a fledgling market for the local product seems to be developing”.

Much of quinoa’s appeal is its gluten-free status, but that presents cross-contamination and certification challenges if headers and/or storage facilities are also used for wheat.

Weed control, poor tolerance of waterlogging, highly variable yield, and a lack of domestic transport and marketing arrangements are other pitfalls, though trials are trying to address these.

“While the strong price growth may tempt producers to switch to quinoa, there are risks for growers to consider,” stresses Horne.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) made 2013 the International Year of Quinoa. Its website puts quinoa’s yield potential at 11t/ha, with 6t/ha considered good and 0.85-3.5t/ha average. It says it will grow in a wide range of soil types and climates, withstanding temperatures from 8oC to 38oC.