New approach creating opportunities for Great Southern growers

A first faba bean shipment from the Port of Albany is opening the door to new opportunities for growers in southern WA.

More than 5,000 tonnes of the legume were loaded aboard Vantage Euphoria using Commodity Ag’s mobile ship loader during a three-day loading operation last week.

Southern Ports Chief Executive Officer Keith Wilks said working with customers to break new ground was always important.

“This is a terrific result for one of our newer customers as it continues to establish itself as an exporter in the global market as well as for growers in the Great Southern,” Mr Wilks said.

“Southern Ports’ strength comes from having the flexible capacity to connect our regions to the world – and this is a prime example of that.

“We are focused on working with both existing and prospective customers to find ways to grow trade.”

The shipment marks yet another milestone for Commodity Ag after it became the Port of Albany’s second bulk crop exporter in mid-2024.

Commodity Ag’s Casey Naisbitt said creating more options for growers meant greater opportunities to try something new.

“In conjunction with our storage and transport capacities, our ship loading capabilities through the Port of Albany allows growers to access markets without going further afield,” he said.

“Every time we export through the Port of Albany we demonstrate different approaches to exporting are viable alternatives for growers in southern WA.

“We’ve got a great growing region for legumes, but without market access it has been difficult for growers to commit to including them in their regular rotations – hopefully this successful shipment shifts that perspective.”

The faba beans were sourced from Great Southern growers, including from members of the Stirlings to Coast Farmers group.

Stirlings to Coast Farmers Chief Executive Officer Lizzie von Perger said local trials were giving growers good reason to grow legumes.

“Our trial results have shown that bagged fertiliser often doesn’t beat the benefits of a previous legume crop,” she said.

“The hardest part for farmers, which has come through in numerous project surveys and conversations, hasn’t been in growing legumes but in selling them, profitably.”

It is the second faba beans export through a Southern Ports’ port this year after Esperance Quality Grains exported 3,000 tonnes of beans through the Port of Esperance in February. As well as being a staple part of middle eastern diets for centuries, growing faba beans can have an added benefit for soil health by boosting nitrogen levels for subsequent crops.