NOVEMBER'S unprecedented heat through south-eastern Australia has devastated the high value lentil crop in Victoria’s Wimmera, one of the two key lentil production zones in Australia, along with the Yorke Peninsula.
Pulse Victoria is now estimating just 30 per cent of the Wimmera’s primarily red lentil crop will make the premium No 1 grade, currently valued at around $900 a tonne.
There are options for lentils with minor damage to be marketed into human consumption markets, but those with significant damage may only be able to be sold as a feedstock, with values similar to field peas, currently about $270/t.
The Wimmera crop was hit first by early November heat, which caused shrivelled grain and immature green kernels, rather than the preferred red, then by rain of up to 90 millimetres during late November/early December, which will cause staining issues for remaining crop, as well as make it difficult to harvest the short crop.
Pulse Victoria chairman Roy Rogers said about 15,000t of a total crop of 50,000t were expected to make No 1 specifications, with less than one percent green kernels.
A further 5000t have between 1pc and 5pc green kernels and will be able to be sold as human consumption grade, possibly even in the No 1 category, following cleaning.
Another 10,000t are tipped to have 5pc to 20pc green kernels but may still produce a product marketable into the human consumption sector in the future, with Mr Rogers urging growers not to make decisions too quickly.
At worst, the remainder of the crop with the most severe damage will be saleable as a protein source for stock feed, with a substitutability to field peas.
Wayne Hawthorne, of Pulse Victoria’s parent body Pulse Australia, said while some farmers were considering not harvesting lentil crops that had been flattened by rain, due to the difficulty in picking them up, it still could prove worthwhile attempting to harvest them.
“There’s still a value to the product, and if they are able to clean them up, there are still returns there, even if they are only getting half of what is in the paddock.”
Mr Rogers agreed.
“It is important that growers not abandon crops too readily. It is still early days so before turning the sheep in on lentils I would urge growers to talk to their marketers about their options.”
He made his comments following a meeting last week of the Victorian pulse industry, designed to assess the full extent of the damage.
The gathering included 30 growers, processors, marketers, transporters and researchers from the Department of Primary Industries.
Mr Rogers said it seemed although all crops were impacted by the heat, lentils were worst impacted due to their maturity stage when the heatwave struck.
Mr Hawthorne said the industry was now waiting until the completion of the lentil harvest to assess what would happen next.
“We have to see just what the final wash-up of the Australian crop is and what the buyers in other countries will accept.
“There’s probably a fair bit we can get up to standard by cleaning.”
Mr Rogers said the industry was being proactive in contacting markets to see whether there was the chance of selling damaged lentils.
“A variety of samples of heat-affected lentils have been sent overseas and processors are waiting for responses on what markets and prices may be available.”
Mr Rogers urged growers to store damaged lentils with as much segregation as possible to allow more flexibility in marketing of any damaged product later in the season.
“We understand a lack of sufficient storage facilities may make this difficult," he said.
“There are still many unknowns, especially after recent heavy rain, but some processors are offering a warehousing system which will at least hold stock until it is known whether or not they are marketable.”
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