Could flax be WA’s lucrative new “superfood” crop?

The first commercial crop of flax will be swathed in Katanning next month, with hopes it could spark the start of a new WA “superfood” industry.

Southern Dirt have flax growing at four sites across the region including research lots in Wagin, Woodanilling and Kojonup, but their 17ha Katanning crop is set to hit the local market mid-2020.

Chief executive Tracey Hodgkins said the growing group was working on a supply chain business model for their forthcoming flaxseed haul.

“We cannot return it on farm gate, which means we need to take it to a full supply chain in order to be able to pay the return on the farmer — to make it viable,” she said.

“We’re just now waiting to see how much yield we’ll get, from there we can start also looking at packaging and branding. Taking it right through the supply chain right through to the market, it could end up at health-food shops or in supermarkets.”

If successful, Ms Hodgkins said a viable flaxseed industry would provide the region and its farmers multiple economic and agronomic advantages.

While still in trial stages, Ms Hodgkins said she believed 30 jobs in the Great Southern could be created by the industry, with the first coming by the end of next year. The initial idea of trialling flaxseed crops themselves was to provide an alternate break crop for producers.

“Why it’s so important to us is that, it gives us a break crop and some areas we’re doing barley on barley and it’s not good for the soil,” she said.

“We’re trying to bring some nutrients back into the soil, and the crop that goes after it, generally from what we’re finding, is going to grow better.”

Ms Hodgkins said she hoped flax would become a $110 million industry within a decade, and be seen as on par with canola.

Flaxseed demand has grown over recent years, with a number of online health influencers hailing the grain as a “superfood”.

Southern Dirt research manager Dr Bronwyn Copestake said flaxseed had health benefits for both consumers and livestock, with the grain providing a good source of omega-3.

Southern Dirt recently received a $100,000 grant towards an investment strategy and agronomic package to establish the industry fromAgriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan.