Australia and the United States, two of the world’s biggest wheat exporters, are racing to become mass producers of the South American “super food” quinoa and tap a gluten-free market expected to be worth more than $6 billion by 2018.
Developing the right seeds and farming techniques to mass produce quinoa, which is traditionally grown on small acre farms in the Andes mountains, is the key to entering a market where global demand is outstripping traditional supply.
Australian scientists say they are less than three years away from developing a quinoa for the nation’s hot, dry climate.
U.S. farmers have been producing quinoa since the 1980s, but mass production still eludes them.
White Mountain Farm in the southern Colorado Rocky Mountains is one of the biggest producers, taking advantage of the high altitude which is the traditional quinoa climate.
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“I estimate we are four to five years away from developing varieties adapted to different regions of the U.S.,” said Kevin Murphy, assistant professor of plant breeding at Washington State University and an expert on quinoa.
In preparation for the eventual large scale production of quinoa, Bolivia is seeking to establish a genetically unique brand “Quinoa Real” which will sell at a premium.
Read full, original article: Australia, US race to satisfy insatiable, and lucrative, quinoa appetite
