Pulses
Pulses are the edible seeds of leguminous plants, which are plants that house their seeds in pods, such as peas, beans, lentils and lupins. The pulse industry was established in the early 1980's and has developed to be an important sector of the the grains industry, where it is sometimes used in crop rotation systems with cereals or oilseeds.
The majority of pulses produced in Australia are exported to regions such as the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East to be used as stockfeed or consumed by humans.
The main pulse varieties produced in Australia are:
Faba Beans:
168 kilotonnes was produced in 2004, mainly in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
Chick Peas:
Chick pea production of the Kabuli and Desi varieties was 116 kilotonnes in 2004.
Lentils:
95 kilotonnes of lentils were produced in 2004 predominantly in South Australia and Victoria.
Lupins:
Lupins are mainly used as stockfeed. 516 kilotonnes of narrow leafed and sweet albus lupins were produced in 2004.
Field Peas:
224 kilotonnes of field peas were produced in 2004.
Other varieties include: Vetch, mung beans, broad beans and azuki beans.
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Last reviewed: 13 Feb 2008
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