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HORSHAM district farmer Pepe Luciani is hoping for a repeat of last year’s gross margins with chickpea crops, but experience gained over 25 years of growing the crop tells him it is unlikely.
“We had good yields and great prices last year, this year, with a few more people planting the crop you’d expect it is unlikely the prices will hold up at current levels.”
“It would be nice if prices did hold but I think last year may have been one of those once in a generation things.
However, he said prices leading into sowing were still very solid.
“If we have normal yields, they will still be a good crop to grow.”
Mr Luciani said he had grown chickpeas for 25 years, focusing on Kabuli types.
While lentils are the most widely grown pulse crop on the Wimmera plains, Mr Luciani said he always grew chickpeas as well.
“We are about 50-50 between chickpeas and lentils.”
“In the past we have had some good results with chickpeas, obviously we have had some tough years too, but they can be a very profitable crop in this area.”
Mr Luciani, who farms west of Horsham on heavy black soils, said there were a range of marketing options for the crop.
“There are quite a few pulse packers in the district which makes it easy to market the crop.”
Even in years where values have been low, he said he was comfortable to store the crop on-farm.
“I am a lot happier storing chickpeas than something like barley, they are lower volume and higher return.”
This year, Mr Luciani said he would be closely monitoring fungal disease levels.
“It is something we need to keep an eye on, but it has to be very wet for us not to be able to get out on the paddock to spray, so I think we can keep it under control.”