Lentils, peas fill AGT silos

AGT Foods Australia, formerly Australian Milling Group, has started receiving pulses into its sites at Bowmans and Kadina on Yorke Peninsula.

The global business recently took on the new name. Its Canadian arm, which was known as Alliance Grain Trading, operates as AGT Foods and Ingredients.

The business said similar names and brands made it easier for consumers to spot an AGT Foods product on the shelf.

At the Bowmans site, Kaspa peas and lentils began to stream in at the end of October.

AGT Foods Australia acquisition manager for SA Leigh Wright said while quality had been reasonable so far, smaller seeds had been coming through and there were high screenings in some loads.

"Seeds that filled and finished are of a very good standard and very good quality," he said.

"But some later pods didn't fill up enough. The hot long weekend in October finished a few off, unfortunately."

The Hurricane variety - a small, Nipper-type - has been the predominant delivery so far. Some Blitz has also been brought in.

"Hurricane is the most planted lentil this year," Mr Wright said.

He said yields were a mixed bag, going anywhere from 300 kilograms a hectare to 1.85t/ha.

Deliveries had been coming in from upper YP up to Port Broughton and across the Mid North.

"Traditionally, it has been an early start this year," Mr Wright said.

"Deliveries have been steady, but with the hot weather, I think it will really ramp up soon."

Mr Wright expected faba beans to be in soon followed by both Kabuli and Desi chickpeas.

"From December through to February, there'll be wheat coming in," he said.

"We will then continue to buy product off-farm throughout the year."

Exceptional prices mean farmers are likely to sell most of their grain at harvest rather than hold onto product.

High quality lentils are making between $1150/t and $1225/t and smalls between $1000/t and $1090/t.

While these prices were not quite at record levels - they peaked at the end of the past harvest at about $1300/t - they certainly offered good returns.

Peas are also making handsome prices, tracking at more than $500/t.

The other major pulse growing area in Australia - Wimmera in Vic - is having a disastrous season, making SA an attractive destination for buyers.

"There's a lot more active competition here in SA," Mr Wright said.

SA should produce some good tonnages, with many growers swapping from growing canola this season because of issues with Green Peach Aphid in 2014, and opting for pulses.

But seasonal conditions will affect overall tonnages.

"Some guys have cut peas down and put them into bales and put sheep on them," Mr Wright said.

"Two months ago the 2015 harvest was looking to be an absolute bin buster, but the dry weather, along with some frost damage, means it is likely to be about average."