Summary

There is a growing market for sustainably produced grain that has novel function in terms of flavour and dietary health benefits that cannot be satisfied by industrialised cereal production. Estimated future Industry GVP value for this product is $142.4M per year. Perennial grain production systems are being developed to increase sustainability and profitability for Australian farmers. This project aims to form an early stage cluster of researchers and industry end users to guide development of this new crop to target the artisan grain market.
The project will facilitate the piloting of early-generation perennial wheat material by artisan millers, bakers, brewers and distillers and draw key participants from across the supply chain together in a forum to identify the strengths and weaknesses of this potential new food crop. The Information provided will be used to inform future breeding activities and to scope likely market opportunities in Australia.
The workshop will deliver a report which: 1) details the function of selected perennial cereal germplasm for specified end use products, 2) identifies any grain attributes that are lacking that can be improved through breeding, and 3) documents the scope and pathway to market for perennial grains that will achieve industry growth beyond $10M of product value in the next 5 years.

Program

New and Emerging Industries

Research Organisation

(DPI) The Crown in right of the State of New South Wales acting through the Department of Primary Industries within Regional NSW

Objective Summary

The objective of this project is to gain industry feedback on end function of perennial cereals and thereby create an opportunity for development for a human consumption market. A list of perennial wheat germplasm from diverse pedigrees has been identified as having potential for whole grain milling. This material will be provided to private sector partners that include artisan millers, bakers, brewers and distillers to test and develop products on an experimental scale.
The project will culminate in a workshop to gather industry feedback on grain characteristics and function with participants invited to identify strongly positive or negative attributes of the grains they are provided. Experts working in perennial grains research in the northern hemisphere will be invited to participate and update the Australian industry on perennial grains development, breeding and commercialisation elsewhere in the world. This expertise will be used to map out the path to commercialise an Australian perennial grain for a dedicated end use.