North west Qld infant cropping industry prompts call for new facility

Such infrastructure would be necessary if the infant industry isn't to fall at the first hurdle, according to Port of Townsville trade manager Maria James.

The port has exported containerised legumes, predominantly mungbeans, for almost a decade, which are packed at a facility in the Burdekin or on-farm.

However, a new processing facility would provide a more cost effective option for farmers and streamline the containerised export process out of the port.

Discussions have continued after a 4000-tonne chickpea crop harvested at Nelia was delivered to central Queensland rather than to Townsville for export because of the lack of the desired facilities at the northern port.

Ms James said the successful development of large-scale ideas would require a fundamental change in existing supply chains and critical infrastructure developments at the port if they were to be profitable.

"High-cost supply chains to markets and point of export in southern and eastern Australia are an impediment to profitability and the successful establishment of new ventures in these regions," she said.

She identified partnerships and collaboration as keys to unlocking the potential of cropping ventures in the north west and called for interested parties to come forward.

Containerised grain packing now happens in a rudimentary way at the port, where grain that has been graded and inspected prior to delivery was supplied directly from on-farm storage.

"Land-side container handling infrastructure at Port of Townsville presents a viable opportunity to support the development of these supply chains, but containerised grain export is impeded by the lack of export packing facilities in our region," Ms James said.

"Containers can be packed with grain anywhere along the supply chain.

"However, containers are more commonly packed at container packing facilities located close to the grain supply or close to the container supply at port."

Ms James said the port was progressing a trial shipment of containerised chickpeas for export in the hope that it would facilitate support for a grain packing facility.

"The trial will track the costs involved and help us to trim the fat off," she said. "This isn't bulk, it's containerised, niche."

She said the complementary cropping happening in sugar districts when that crop was fallow was what had initially sparked the trial, coupled with the demand from Asia for Australian produce.

"There is real momentum happening in the grain/legume space and I don't want out of date perceptions to hamper the good work that is progressing in that sector, not only in the north west, but there is grain being grown in the Burdekin as well as the Atherton Tableland," Ms James said.

"This all about having confidence in the region.

"In some ways it's like the chicken and the egg - do we each wait for the other to start happening.

"I think the secret is to start small and get buy-in from proponents."