The potential for UK farmers to ramp up homegrown chickpea production is the subject of a new research project led by crop science organisation NIAB.
Scientists behind a two-year feasibility study have received £500,000 from Defra’s farming futures research and development fund. They believe chickpeas could become an important source of UK protein.
Human onsumption
A cool-season legume, chickpeas have the potential to reduce on-farm fertiliser requirements and help curtail greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and application of chemical fertilisers.
Current UK legume production is mainly restricted to field beans and combinable peas. But a large proportion of these crops are destined for animal feed and are not optimised for human consumption.
In contrast, chickpeas are used in the UK food industry but rarely grown here. This is largely due to the scarcity of adapted varieties and the lack of knowledge both growers and advisors have of the crop.
UK food companies annually import 60,000 tonnes of chickpeas for products including stand-alone tins, pouches of cooked chickpeas and packets of dried pulses – and as a key ingredient in ready-meals and bakery products.
Variety trials and agronomy testing will be carried out by NIAB and specialist seed company Premium Crops, ranging from small plots up to field-scale evaluation, says NIAB head of breeding Phil Howell.
End-use quality assessments will be undertaken by Norfolk-based grower Place UK, which has successfully grown chickpea crops to sell through its vertically-integrated food ingredients business.
