The GIWA Pulse Council’s current focus is on increasing the area planted to pulses in WA, recognising the critical role that grain legumes play in fixing biological nitrogen and as break crops. The Council is working to ensure that agronomic advice is available to growers trialling pulses, and that as the area sown to lentils, chickpeas, faba beans and field peas continues to grow, adequate segregations are available within the bulk handling system for growers to deliver into.
In line with this, the GIWA Pulse Council will host its inaugural Pulse Field Day in August 2026 to support the growing interest in pulse crops. This event will bring together growers, agronomists, researchers and industry stakeholders to share practical insights, latest research and on-ground experiences across a range of pulse varieties.
The Pulse Council also remains strongly focused on lupins and continues to work towards opening new markets for lupins as a human food. Given the importance of lupins to WA growers, in the past GIWA funded the development of technical information packages to support government efforts to open market access for lupins for human consumption. The Council is also currently providing input into the development of a national classification system that distinguishes between lupins for stock feed, and lupins for human consumption.
Quick Links
Australian Sweet Lupin GIWA Recipe Book
Level Up with Legumes Recipe Book
The GIWA Pulse Council
Members
Ruth Young – Chair – Grower, Calingiri
Alan Meldrum – Deputy Chair – Independent
Matt Aubert – Lupin Breeder, AGT
Chayce Creedy – WA Procurement Manager, Mauri/Weston Animal Nutrition
Merilyn Elson – Strategic Product Innovation Manager, Wide Open Agriculture
Debbie Gillam – Grower, Irwin
Trevor Lucas – Head of Market Insights and Sustainability, CBH Group
Barry Mansfield – Trader, Demeter Grains
Jackson Morris – Trader, Premium Grain Handlers
Federico Ribalta – Pulse Breeder, InterGrain
Ben Webb – Grower, Boyup Brook
Anne Wilkins – Grower, Dandaragan
Guests (non-voting)
Alex Edward – Principal Policy Officer: Grains, DPIRD
William Piercey – General Manager Albany Zone, CBH Group (proxy member)
Mark Seymour – Senior Researcher, DPIRD
Greg Shea – Senior Researcher, DPIRD
Daniel Skylas – Senior Research Scientist, AEGIC