Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan has 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 earlier this year to maintain and build new trade opportunities and industry value over the next four years.
The McGowan Government allocated an extra $1 million for research and to cultivate opportunities for soft wheat, whole grain wheat and locally grown oats.
Oat rice and noodles are now being commercialised, while novel oat products such as bubble tea, cous cous and sauces are being developed.
Soft wheat demand from Asian flour millers continues to grow for biscuits in response to AEGIC's endeavours and further work is underway to position Australian whole grain wheat as a preferred choice in the south east Asian market.
From humble beginnings, AEGIC now has research and commercial laboratories, a pilot mill, pilot bakery and a staff of 50 across Perth and Sydney.
The independent, not-for-profit company, established in 2012, 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.
AEGIC has cemented Western Australia as the main supplier of noodle wheat for the Japanese udon noodles market, as well as customers in South Korea, worth $250 million per annum.
It also helped secure the European Union market for Australian canola, which has strict quality and emissions requirements.
The company pivoted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when borders were shut, holding virtual crop inspections for prospective buyers and webinar programs to stimulate demand for Australian grains and animal feed.
AEGIC works closely with Western Australian-based cereal grain breeding company InterGrain, which is also co-owned by the State Government and the GRDC, to develop new wheat, barley and oat varieties for target markets, suited to local growing conditions.
Grains, including wheat, canola, barley, oats and lupin, is the State's biggest agricultural earner, contributing on average $6.2 billion per annum to the Western Australian economy.
As stated by Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan:
"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.
"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.
"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."
