b'Today, lupin seeds are traditionally eaten as a pickled snack food, primarily in the Mediterranean area, Latin America and North Africa. Lupin bean flour is widely used in parts of Europe and in Australia as an additive to wheat flour, enhancing flavour and lending a rich, creamy colour to the resulting foods.In 2020, only four per cent of lupins were consumed by humans, with the majority used as stock feed.The Canadian business for Dieta will initially focus on food uses with some feed uses in Middle East markets and production will take place in Manitoba due to its longer growing season and proximity to initial customers in the Canadian and U.S. food industries. Boregine has undergone testing by Alberta Agriculture for several years and is well-adapted to the parkland areas of Alberta. The primary market for Boregine will be feed markets in Asia where Koralta has already secured a substantial blue lupin crop market.Koralta is aiming for about 40,000 acres of total production in Western Canada by 2023 of both varieties. This year, it has contracted The oldest lupin seeds have been found in thesome seed production and a small amount tombs of Ancient Egyptian pharaohs. of commercial production. In Manitoba right now, Red River Seeds and J.S. Henry and Son Ltd. are multiplying Dieta, and in Alberta, Galloway Seeds, Lindholm Seed Farm and Brian Ellis Seed are doing the same for Boregine.Koralta is also partnering with Hensall Co-op in Ontario and two farmers to investigate agronomic/eco-nomic fit for Dieta.Gordon Butcher, CEO Of AgCall (a firm which has been contracted by Koralta to assist with research and commercialization of lupin in Canada) notes that acreage is initially being limited to black soil zones because the crop needs moisture to produce competitive yields to pea. Lupin also must be grown on lower pH soils (blue less than 7.3 and white less than 7.8) as soil acidity levels can affect protein and yields.J.S. Henry and Son Ltd. in Oak River, Man., was con-tracted to grow 140 acres this year.Our seed stock came from the UK, and they also grow lupin with great success in Australia, two very dif-ferent areas of the world for growing crops, so well see what happens here, says co-owner Eric McLean, who also co-owns BenLedi Farm and is vice-president of Seeds Canada.Similar to what happened when soybeans were intro-duced in Western Canada, there will be three to five years of determining yield and production parameters.The Years AheadIn 2020, only four per cent of lupins were consumed by humans,Koralta has established a closed loop production system with the majority used as stock feed. Photos courtesy Koralta with all parties. Each commercial grower must sign a purchase agreement with Koralta to deliver all grain pro-26GERMINATION.CANOVEMBER 2021'