Australia's supply of quinoa will get a boost when a WA quinoa processing plant opens its doors next month.
Tasmania is currently the only state with a local quinoa processor. The new plant is larger scale - it can process around 5,000 tonne a year - and is located on a WA grain farm.
Quinoa, an ancient grain, has risen in popularity recently because of its gluten free, low GI and high protein status, but unlike other grains, it has a bitter coating which must be scarified, washed and dried in a special plant.
Currently, most of the quinoa bought in Australia is imported from Bolivia and Peru, but trials are underway in various states to see if it can be grown successfully in Australia.
There is already more than 1000 hectares of quinoa crop in WA, but until now, this quinoa couldn't be sold locally - it had to be exported for processing.
The aim of the WA plant is to provide a large and reliable local supply to food manufacturers wanting to improve the health profile of their products.
Coles contributed $500,000 - a third of the cost of the plant - from its Nurture Grant program to the company behind the plant, Australian Grown Superfoods, which is co-owned by WA farmer Ashley Wiese and his business partners Megan Gooding and Garren Knell.
WA-processed quinoa is expected to be sold in supermarkets from next year.
