16 IREC Farmers' Newsletter No. 198 — Spring 2017 QUINOA: AN EMERGING INDUSTRY FOR THE NSW RIVERINA Quinoa presents a new cropping opportunity for Australian grain growers, and as part of a national program, trials are underway to determine the performance of the crop in the Riverina. l  Quinoa is a relatively new food in western diets, popular with consumers and presenting a new cropping opportunity for Australia farmers. l  Australia relies heavily on imported product to meet consumer demand, with over 1000 tonnes of quinoa being imported annually, while national production is about 400 tonnes. l  In Australia, quinoa can be grown as either a summer or winter crop and is seen as a good fit within existing cropping programs, depending on soil type, rainfall and environment. l  Trials at Leeton are part of a national project evaluating varieties and required agronomy to successfully produce quinoa in various regions throughout Australia. Quinoa is increasing in popularity in Australia and other developed countries due to its nutritional qualities. The seed has high protein content, low glycemic qualities and is gluten free. David Troldahl R&D Agronomist Southern Irrigated Cropping Systems NSW Department of Primary Industries, Yanco Agricultural Institute QUINOA has been grown as a crop in Peru and other South American countries for approximately 10,000 years and has been a major staple in the diet of the indigenous Andean people. Since the 1990s there has been a resurgence of growing quinoa and other traditional crops in South America due to government support in this area. Quinoa is a versatile seed that can be consumed whole or processed into a range of food products. Global production of quinoa needs to meet global consumer demand while honoring appropriate biosecurity and intellectual property regulations. Up until 2014, global demand was greater than production but since then production has risen and there is currently a small oversupply of quinoa worldwide. QUICK TAKE