Liz Wells, March 21, 2023
RESEARCHERS, agronomists and value adders from across Australia and beyond are gathered in Toowoomba this week for the fourth Australian Pulse Conference, and the first ever to be held in Queensland.
In his opening address this morning, committee chair and Wilson International Trade principal Peter Wilson welcomed around 300 delegates to the Empire Theatres’ Armitage Centre to hear presentations, take part in discussions and find out where Australia’s vibrant pulse industry is heading.
Under the theme of Pulses for People, Profit and the Planet, Mr Wilson said the committee aimed for a program that could “meld science and markets”.
“I think that’s been the great hallmark of the pulse industry over the years; we are a special crop,” Mr Wilson said.
APC2023 delegates include pulse breeders, plant pathologists and agronomists, who Mr Wilson said have helped to make the industry successful through the spirit of collaboration with “openness of heart that you do get from scientists but you don’t get from traders”.
He said these scientists have enabled Australia to develop and grow pulse varieties suited to large-scale agriculture which have an unshakable base in export markets, and a variety of opportunities in the value-adding space.
“Having a plant that’s upright and that can be harvested by a modern harvester is quite an achievement.”
The forum has a wide range of speakers over the two-day program looking at everything from human dietary trends and where pulse-based foods sit in the consumer landscape to the breeding and development of Australia’s pulse crops.
The event is normally triennial, but because of COVID has not been held since the Horsham event in Victoria in 2019.
Source: Grain Central