Currently, there is huge global demand for mung beans crop and Australian farmers are well placed to meet it. Mung beans have been popular in Indian and Asian cuisine for centuries, and are used in pappadums and cold breakfast soups. Northern Australian growers in particular are located in a good position to make the most of the lucrative crop
Steve Foran, who buys and sells Australian mung beans with agribusiness Woods Group, said he sent little legumes all around the world. "But a vast majority of our mung beans will end up in China," he said. "There's a saying in China that loosely translates to, 'Mung beans in the morning keep you cool.'"
According to Foran, Australian-grown mung beans were barely scratching the sides of the world's growing demand for the plant-protein: "In a normal year, [Australian growers] produce around 80,000 tons [and] we could grow 200,000 tons year-on-year at a sustainable production level. Our buyers are just demanding Australian mung beans."
With mung beans currently trading at roughly three times the price of wheat, Foran said it should not be too difficult to encourage more Australian farmers to grow them.
Source: abc.net.au
