AUSTRALIA – The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has pledged US$17.5 million to Grains Australia Limited (GAL) to bolster the competitiveness and profitability of the nation’s grain sector across the value chain in the domestic and international markets.
Australian grain farmers produce about 46.8 million tonnes of grains annually, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES).
Established in 2020, Grains Australia plays delivers services and functions on behalf of the grains sector which brings in revenues of about $16.7 billion annually.
Gain Australia provides classification, trade and market access, market information and education with the aim of ensuring Australia has a collaborative and unified approach, the GRDC said.
John Woods, chairman of GRDC and a grain grower, said that the decision to invest in Grains Australia on behalf of the nation’s grain growers was critical since it will support the association’s evolution.
Terry Enright, chairman of Grains Australia, affirmed the importance of the establishment of Grains Australia by GRDC citing that the investment is a hotcake for the future of the nation’s grain growers.
“In establishing Grains Australia, GRDC recognized the need for an industry organization that works across functions to bring value across the entire supply chain”
“Now GRDC’s decision to continue investing in the work of Grains Australia means we can continue to deliver the critical functions required to support the Australian grains industry’s development and profitability.
Recently, Grains Australia appointed well-known grains industry leader Richard Simonaitis as the chief executive officer after nearly a decade at the helm of the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) in Perth.
Simonaitis will seek to continue the momentum for Grains Australia that already has seen the integration of Wheat Quality Australia, the Grains Industry Market Access Forum (GIMAF), Barley Australia, The National Working Party on Grain Protection (NWPGP), and established a national oats council.
From the investment, Grain Australia has committed to focusing on feed grain into Indonesia, malting and brewing barley in Brazil, and improving variety classification systems for wheat, barley, and oats.
The association also eyes developing an industry-first pulse classification framework that will add value to the pulse industry and forecasts on enabling Australian products to be differentiated in key export markets.
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