NOTICE: Hard copies of the Australian New Crops Newsletter are available from the publisher, Dr Rob Fletcher. Details of availability are included in the
Advice on Publications Available.The Lentil Company
PO Box 1145
Horsham Vic 3402
Telephone: 03 5382 1677
Facsimile: 03 5382 0053
Email: tlcaus@comcirc.com.au
Web Site: http://www.thelentilcompany.com.au
[Please also refer to the accompanying article by Peter Blair, Director of The Lentil Company re niche marketing of Australian TLC Lentils]
The Lentil Company in Horsham, Victoria has been a pioneer since its formation in 1992, being actively involved in all aspects of the deve- lopment of the Australian lentil industry.
The Company was formed in Horsham by two Victorian farmers, Peter Blair and Wayne Beddison, in order to promote the production of lentils as an alternative legume for the area the company is now exporting to more than 30 countries.
The year after formation, the Company secured a tender for three lentil lines which had been selected by the Victorian Institute for Dryland Agriculture. These lines were:
Digger: a red lentil 4-5mm in diameter with a dark skin, suitable for use whole, split or dehulled,
Cobber: a red lentil 4-5mm in diameter with a light skin, preferred for splitting and suitable for canning, and
Matilda: a green lentil 4.5-6mm in diameter with a green skin, suitable for use whole or split.
These lentil lines are promoted by the Company and are grown by growers under contract. Lentils are a winter crop in the Mediterranean climate of southern Australia, being sown in May or June and harvested in December.
Production and the number of contract growers has increased significantly during the life of the Company.
The area planted to lentils by the Company was 2000 hectares in 1993-94, increasing to 14,000 hectares, with a production of 30,000 tonnes during 1996-97.
By 1997-98, 450 contracted growers had planted 40,000 hectares.
The Company currently has contract growers in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. Annual sales turnover has increased in the first three years from $600,000 to more than $15,000,000.
This growth has been achieved by the Company's niche marketing approach based on the marketing of quality products.
Insistence on quality starts when the crop is grown. To ensure a premium quality product, the Company has instituted a certified seed program and gives growers advice on best production methods for yield and quality. Payment incentive is based on product quality and its research and development program is aimed at refining these processes.
All lentils are processed at a plant operated under a quality assurance program accredited by the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service.
The Company is very conscious of buyers' needs. In addition to the standard grades of machine dressed (minimum purity 99%) and gravity graded (minimum purity 99.5%), specifications can be tailored to individual requirements.
The Company also exports red split lentils with an export specification of admixture 0.25% maximum and 0.25% caps.
The Lentil Company has pioneered the Australian lentil industry, and has been actively involved in the promotion of lentils through field days, workshops and other activities.
The Company won the 1997 Governor of Victoria Export Award, was a 1997 Finalist for the Australian Export awards and won the 1998 ABARE Commodity Innovation Award.
Other crops currently being actively promoted are fenugreek, canary seed and new lines of chickpea.
Any claims made by authors in the Australian New Crops Newsletter are presented by the Editors in good faith. Readers would be wise to critically examine the circumstances associated with any claims to determine the applicability of such claims to their specific set of circumstances. This material can be reproduced, with the provision that the source and the author (or editors, if applicable) are acknowledged and the use is for information or educational purposes. Contact with the original author is probably wise since the material may require updating or amendment if used in other publications. Material sourced from the Australian New Crops Newsletter cannot be used out of context or for commercial purposes not related to its original purpose in the newsletter
Contact: Dr Rob Fletcher, School of Land and Food, The University of Queensland Gatton College, 4345; Telephone: 07 5460 1311 or 07 5460 1301; Facsimile: 07 5460 1112; International facsimile: 61 7 5460 1112; Email:
r.fletcher@mailbox.uq.edu.au[
New Crops Home Page] [New Crops Program] [Australian New Crops Newsletter] [New Crops Publications] [Order Form] [People] [Crop Profiles] [Other Resources]originally created by:
GK; latest update 6 June 1999 by: RF