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Australia's Siddique World Pulse Ambassador

MARRAHESH - Apr 19/16 - SNS -- University of Western Australia's Agriculture Chair, Hackett Professor Kadambot Siddique was named the Special Ambassador for Pulses 2016 by the FAO.

Professor Siddique received the Special Ambassador designation at the 2016 International Conference on Pulses for Health, Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture in Drylands held in Morocco this week.

As Special Ambassador, Professor Siddique will raise awareness on the important contribution of pulses to food security and nutrition, including the positive impact of pulses to climate change, human health and environmental sustainability.

The Director General of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, José Graziano da Silva said the appointment was made in recognition of Professor Siddique's outstanding contribution to Australian and international agriculture, leading innovative research in production agronomy, development and breeding of pulses and cereal crops for the benefit of the grains industry in Australia and overseas.

Professor Siddique has 30 years' experience in agricultural research, teaching and management in both Australia and overseas. As a result of his personal research and extensive collaborations, Australia has become one of the major grain legume exporting nations in the world. His pioneering research on chickpea has contributed enormously to the Australian chickpea industry, currently valued at over $300 million per annum. His chickpea varieties such as Kimberly Large are grown in the Ord River Area; kabuli chickpea variety Almaz, and more recent desi varieties such as Neelam and Amber are grown by Australian farmers.

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