The Horsham SmartFarm run by Agriculture Victoria is currently the hub of lentil breeding in Australia. Photo: Ag Vic

AGRICULTURE Victoria and the Grains Research and Development Corporation are moving to exit lentil and field pea breeding, with expressions of interest for commercial operators to take over the programs closing this week.

The opportunities were launched alongside an EOI for the chickpea breeding program, following the NSW Government’s decision to exit the Chickpea Breeding Australia partnership with GRDC.

The move will mark the end of direct government involvement in pulse breeding, with Victoria the last state to withdraw.

The successful applicant for the lentil breeding program will take over in July 2026, with the current arrangement ending in December 2025.

The new lead for the field pea program will also take over in July 2026, with the current program finishing in June 2026.

In the EOI, Agriculture Victoria and GRDC said they were seeking a commercial breeding company or consortium to take over the program under licence.

“The Respondent must be a commercial breeding company that specialises in the development, production, and commercialisation of new and improved field crop varieties to meet the needs of farmers, processors, and markets,” the EOI said.

“The Respondent must operate on a for-profit basis and must be investing in research and development to create varieties with desirable traits such as higher yield, disease resistance, pest tolerance, stress adaptation (e.g., drought, heat, salinity), and quality attributes (e.g., grain quality, oil content), that meet current and emerging market requirements.”

The successful applicant will be required to continue developing improved field pea and lentil varieties, and manage commercialisation, including seed distribution and royalty collection.

Time for change

In a statement, GRDC said the conclusion of investment contracts for the breeding programs had allowed the parties to reassess their future direction and determine the best approach to meet grower and industry needs.

“The involvement of the commercial sector in lentil and field pea breeding is expected to accelerate breeding activities, apply new technologies, bring specialised expertise, and achieve cost efficiency through economies of scale,” the statement said.

“GRDC will continue to invest in lentil and field pea pre-breeding with a focus on delivering genetic tools and selection technologies that support the ongoing development of higher yielding, disease resistant varieties, suitable for existing production environments of Australia and target crop expansion regions.”

An Agriculture Victoria spokesperson said both breeding programs would be supported until the successful providers takeover.

They said it was the right time to transition to a commercial operator.

“With lentil and field pea annual production now surpassing 1 million tonnes and with a farm-gate value exceeding $1 billion, thanks to national breeding programs, Agriculture Victoria and GRDC are looking to transition these programs to the private sector,” the spokesperson said.

“The decision to test the market with a commercialisation EOI reflects the breeding programs’ success, the scale of current production, and the shared view that ongoing public investment is no longer required to address market failure.”

Pulse breeding background

Agriculture Victoria and GRDC took over the field pea and lentil breeding programs following the dissolution of Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA).

PBA was a partnership between GRDC, state agricultural departments, the University of Adelaide, and later the University of Sydney, and Pulse Australia, the peak representative body whose functions rolled into Grains Australia in 2023.

Established in 2021 and based in Horsham, the National Lentil Breeding Program has modernised the crop-breeding program and now holds 12 of the 19 varieties on the market.

The remaining varieties are owned by private company Grains Innovation Australia, also based at Horsham.

A potential frontrunner to take over the national breeding program, GIA was established in 2013 with backing from growers, breeders, agronomists, seed and grain processors, and marketing experts.

Also established in 2021, the National Field Pea Breeding Program is the only operating field pea breeder in Australia and owns seven of the nine varieties available this season, according to Variety Central data.

Australia is on track to produce a strong lentil crop for 2025-26 with the ABARES June Crop Report forecasting a 1.5-million-tonne harvest.

That figure comprises: Victoria 750,000t; South Australia 690,000t; Western Australia 21,000t, and New South Wales at around 30,000t.

National field pea production is forecast to be down on previous seasons, with ABARES forecasting Australia to harvest 217,000t for 2025-26.

This decline is largely due to reduced production in key states, with SA’s crop seen at 65,000t, well down on its five-year average of 98,500t, and Vic at 45,000t, about 44 percent below its five-year average of 79,100t.

NSW also produces field peas, with an estimated 55,000t forecast for 2025-26, while WA is expected to produce around 52,000t.

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