CONTACT US

General enquiries

Email: secretary@mungbean.org.au

 

Executive Officer – David Pietsch

Email: execofficer@mungbean.org.au

 

Paul McIntosh                      Pulse Australia, Industry Development Manager–Northern

Ph: 0429 566 198                 Email: agronomist@mungbean.org.au

 

Tracey Byrne-Morrison         AMA Secretary
Ph: 0408 799 185                 Email: secretary@mungbean.org.au

 

Management Committee

President: James Hunt

Secretary/Treasurer: Tracey Byrne-Morrison

Past-President: Mark Schmidt

Vice-President: Steve Foran

Standards Committee Convenor: Steve Foran

Seeds Committee Convenor: Lloyd Neilsen

Logistics & DAWR Committee Convenor: Matt Tabor

Promotions & Education Committee Convenor: Mark Schmidt

DAF & GRDC Liaison: Paul McIntosh

Technical Committee Convenor: Ben McIntyre

Strategic Planning Committee Convenor: Paul McIntosh

 

ABOUT US

The Australian Mungbean Association (AMA) is a non-profit organisation representing all sectors of the Australian mungbean industry. Its members include plant breeders, research agronomists, grain traders, seed graders and packers, crop consultants and representatives from a range of other government agencies and private sector enterprises.

The AMA is committed to developing effective networks and linkages between key stakeholders within the industry and to ensuring that industry efforts and resources are maximised and aligned for the common good of the mungbean industry.

Through the dedicated efforts of the Association’s Promotions, Seeds, Standards, Packer and Logistics and Research and Development committees the AMA has a strong focus on ensuring:

• food safety and hygiene standards are maintained at a high level across the whole industry
• quality assurance systems are adopted that improve traceability of our produce and build market confidence in Australian mungbeans
• superior mungbean cultivars are developed that will achieve higher returns for producers and also meet overseas consumer demand for premium quality mungbeans
• mungbean producers and their advisors have ready access to the best available production, marketing and industry information.

The AMA’s industry development programs include:

• National Mungbean Improvement Program
• Accredited Agronomist Program
• Approved Seed Program
• Quality & Food Safety Standards
• Trader Code of Ethics

Current AMA members operate under the AMA Code of Ethics and are willing to assist you grow and market high quality mungbean grain for domestic and international buyers and consumers.

 

 

CORPORATE OVERVIEW

• Strategic Plan 2020–25
• AMA Constitution
• AMA Code of Ethics
• AMA Application for Membership

Current AMA members, including registered exporters and grain traders and AQIS registered grading facilities

Industry certified mungbean agronomists

 

AMA STRATEGIC PLAN 2020—2025

The AMA aims increase mungbean yield to target 200,000 t capacity in Australia and position mungbeans as the summer crop of choice. To change the perception, attitude and planning decisions around mungbean planting as a pillar crop to be seen as a profitable short rotation crop option.

This will be achieved through the delivery of 12 enabling priorities:

1. Position mungbeans as a Summer Crop of Choice or Pillar crop
2. Maintain and foster key relationships with GRDC and DAF to deliver the National Mungbean Improvement Program (NMIP)
3. Protect the reputation of the Australian mungbean industry as a producer of clean, green mungbean products through education, lobbying and the introduction of robust Vendor Declarations to ensure all export countries maximum residue levels (MRL) are met
4. Protect the supply chain from adverse market effects by increasing vendor declaration compliance
5. Geographic expansion into other growing areas to increase production
6. Design and implement a Digital Imaging tool to deliver improved testing
7. Improve the AMA Website for better utilisation and secure position as first point of contact for all stakeholders in the mungbean industry
8. Develop a well-rounded suite of seed varieties that suit geographical regions, market demands and climate
9. Implement Trademarks and IP protection to protect and add value to our Australian mungbean varieties
10. Increase mungbean crop size to target 200,000 t capacity in Australia through better soil nutrition, irrigation scheduling and crop management, agronomy skills, new research , varietal improvement and increased confidence by farmers
11. Explore value adding opportunities for the AMA to provide greater value to members and industry in the areas of innovation, food alternatives and human/animal nutrition.
12. Recruit and engage a paid employee within AMA to focus on service and project delivery reducing reliance on volunteer Management Committee positions

Download the AMA Strategic Plan 2020-25

 

PROJECTS AND RELATIONSHIPS

• Pulse Australia and the AMA
• National Mungbean Improvement Program
• Halo blight research

 

INDUSTRY SIZE AND VALUE

Until the 1960s the global production of mungbean was based on wild varieties adapted to each growing region. In Australia, wild mungbean was a valued bush tucker for the Wapiti people of Central Australia and is known to grow in a wide range of environments across Northern Australia. Australian researchers have been global leaders in the development of this ‘new’ crop.

1930s – First official production of introduced mungbean varieties for forage use and green manure.

1969 – NSW Department of Agriculture registered ‘Celera’ as a forage crop, noting its seed crop potential.

1970s – Australian native Vigna species collected.

1975 – NSW and Queensland departments of agriculture released ‘Berken’ and CSIRO released ‘Regur’, marking the beginning of commercial seed production for export to markets in Japan.

1988 – Eleven new varieties commercialised over the next 10 years, six in collaboration with the AMA. Annual production was around 10 000 t/yr.

1996 – Annual production around 20 000 t/yr.

2009 – A turning point in mungbean production, which had risen to around 45 000 t/yr, due mainly to the uptake of ‘Crystal’ and ‘Satin II’, released in 2008, but production was set to more than double in the next five years.

2011 – The mungbean plant breeding and agronomic research program, funded largely by the Australian Government and grower levies through the GRDC, achieved a benefit-cost of 18 to 1 on investment.

2014 – ‘Jade-AU’ and ‘Celera II’ commercialised and major advances in plant breeding technology, agronomic research and pest and disease management, since 2000.

2016 – 5-year average production 76 000 t/yr industry worth $86 million. Record production of over 150 000 t/yr and high global demand.

2017 – 'Onyx-AU' commercialised as the first new black gram released in Australia since Regur in 1975.

2020 – 'Opal-AU' commercialised as a step forward in foliar disease resistance in shiny green mungbean.

2020 – 5-year average production 90,000 t/yr industry worth $118 million.

 

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUNGBEAN ASSOCIATION

The Australian Mungbean Association has supported many world-first developments in the industry and continues to uphold the ‘clean and safe’ high quality standards that have opened new markets across Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

1986 – first AMA meeting, held at Brisbane Aero Club.

1987 – Standards Committee established.

1988 – First quality standard for sprouting mungbean adopted, forming the basis of a unique and effective

marketing system that underpins the industry’s high quality, food-grade status.

1989 – AMA adopted the AQIS Code of Hygiene Practice.

1993 – AMA became the first commercial mungbean PBR partner for CSIRO’s release of Emerald.

1998 – AMA Accredited Seed Scheme established with third-party crop inspections.

1999 – First of four 5-year strategic plans prepared to guide the development of the industry.

2000 – Certified Agronomists program established in collaboration with Queensland Government and Pulse Australia.

2003 – First Variety Management Package published, outlining characteristics and agronomic recommendations of new varieties.

2002 – Australian mungbean germplasm collection, previously curated by CSIRO, was handed over to the Queensland Government to manage the breeding program in collaboration with the AMA.

2011 – Industry study tour of Taiwan. Australia accesses 250 new mungbean lines from the AVRDC.

2014 – 5-year strategic plan targets 170 000 t/yr average production.

2016 – AMA invests in halo blight research. Marked the 30 year anniversary of the AMA with a Gala Dinner.

2017 – Commercial release of a new black gram variety, Onyx-AU, to replace Regur.

2020 – Commercial release of a new shiny green mungbean variety, Opal-AU, with improved resistance to foliar disease (halo blight and powdery mildew).