The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Kingaroy Research Facility is to be expanded following the addition of 53 hectares of adjoining land.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner said the facility would be developed into a major hub for pigeon pea research and provide a major benefit to Queensland farmers.
“We can now really ramp up pigeon pea work while expanding existing trials,” Mr Furner said.
“As one of the most widely-consumed pulses in the world, it has great potential as a summer cash crop.
“There is strong international demand for pigeon pea and it could also help meet growing demand for plant protein here in Australia.”
He said pigeon pea was a crop well suited to Australian growing conditions and could eventually match mung beans as the best broad-acre, dryland summer cropping option in sub-tropical Australia.
“The Kingaroy Research Facility with its unique soils and growing conditions, purpose-built infrastructure and agricultural equipment, is the ideal location for pigeon pea work,” Mr Furner said.
“The expansion of the site will allow the extended rotations researchers need for even more reliable results.”
Mr Furner said the disposal of a smaller parcel of Departmental land at nearby Redvale would raise funds to cover the purchase of the Kingaroy land.
“This transaction has significant advantages with the additional Kingaroy land being of an identical soil type to that at the existing research facility,” he said.
“We’ll have much better water supply security thanks to an on-site bore and creek flows, which will allow the construction of a dam of up to 50 megalitres capacity.”
