A decade of grains market innovation and success

Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan applauded the work of the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) to build market share for Australian grains as it celebrates its 10th anniversary.

AEGIC is co-owned by the state government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), which together contributed $24 million to maintain and build new trade opportunities and industry value over the next four years. An extra $1 million for research and to cultivate opportunities for soft wheat, whole grain wheat and locally grown oats was allocated by the McGowan government.

Novel oat products such as bubble tea, couscous and sauces are being developed while oat rice and noodles are being commercialised.

AEGIC endeavours to position Australian whole grain wheat as a preferred choice in the South East Asian market, and in response to the work it is undertaking to achieve that, soft wheat demand from Asian flour millers has grown.

“Congratulations to AEGIC and its people, who have worked hard to establish Australia as a preferred supplier of premium quality grains in the global marketplace,” MacTiernan said.

Established in 2012, the independent, not-for-profit company is highly regarded in the competitive global grains marketplace, where it works with processors, millers, brewers and maltsters to satisfy discerning requirements and foster trade relationships. Far from its humble beginnings, AEGIC now has research and commercial laboratories, a pilot mill, a pilot bakery and a staff of 50 across Perth and Sydney.

It has cemented Western Australia as the main supplier of noodle wheat for the Japanese udon noodles market and some customers in the South Korean market, worth $250 million per annum. It also helped secure the European Union market for Australian canola, which has strict quality and emissions requirements.

“AEGIC’s market intelligence together with relationships across the supply chain and innovative research have maintained key markets and forged new ones for Australian grain ­— diversifying risk and growing opportunities for growers across the country,” MacTiernan said.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company pivoted, holding virtual crop inspections for prospective buyers and webinar programs to stimulate demand for Australian grains and animal feed.

AEGIC works closely with Western Australia-based cereal grain breeding company InterGrain, also co-owned by the state government and GRDC to develop new wheat, barley and oat varieties for target markets, suited to local growing conditions.

“The McGowan government’s investment in AEGIC is a great illustration of the benefits to be gained from collaborative efforts that drive research, innovation and markets to the benefit of the country’s valuable grains industry,” MacTiernan said.

Grains, including wheat, canola, barley, oats and lupin, are Western Australia’s biggest agricultural earner, contributing on average $6.2 billion per annum to the state’s economy.

Image caption: iStock.com/jodie777