GRAIN CENTRAL | NSW Govt to exit chickpea-breeding partnership

A decision by the NSW Government to end involvement in Chickpea Breeding Australia will require a search for a new partner.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) will launch an expressions of interest process according to Grain Central, which reported GRDC had committed to the next 12 months of the program while the partner was sought.

Grain Producers Australia deputy chairman and NSW Farmers Grains Committee member Matthew Madden said the work done by Chickpea Breeding Australia was important to the future of chickpea production in Australia.

“Whatever can be done by industry to continue to improve the genetics and breeding of chickpeas is vital because it is a major rotation crop in the northern cropping zones and down to the central zones,” Mr Madden said.

“We are very hopeful that there will be that commitment put forward to resourcing chickpea breeding, whether it be through Chickpea Breeding Australia or somebody else.”

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