14 July 1994 Lincoln Sees Great Potential for Chickpeas as Export Crop

Crop farmers in Canterbury could be looking at a valuable export crop in chickpeas, thanks to research at Lincoln University. 

"Within the next 10 years there could be an export chickpea crop to match the value of Canterbury's existing export lentil industry worth $5 million a year," says the Head of Lincoln University's Department of Plant Science, George Hill. 

The department is carrying out several field trials with chickpeas in collaboration with the International Centre for Research in the Semi-Arid Tropics, which has its headquarters near Hyderabad in India.

Lincoln is looking at chickpeas as a seed crop for human consumption. Chickpeas are used extensively as food in Mediterranean countries and they have been taken around the world by migrants from that region. 

"At present, with the upswing in health foods, chickpeas are in favour in the Western world as they have virtually no fat (3 percent) compared with the 46 percent in peanuts. Along with other legumes they also contain interesting compounds which can lower blood cholesterol levels." 

Work at Lincoln with chickpeas began in the mid-1980s when a Filipino student studied the crop for a PhD. Since then Mr Hill and Dr Bruce McKenzie, a senior lecturer in the department, have continued the University's interest. 

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury.