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Probe on AWB 'secret wheat business'
26 Jul 2004
Grant Holland of Cowra put a motion to the NSW Farmers' Association at its annual conference last week: he challenged AWB International to detail the 77 different services its parent AWB Ltd supplies in an exclusive arrangement within the national export wheat pools. The motion also demanded that AWB International explain why it doesn't allow open tendering for services to the pools, and in addition why AWB International allowed AWB Ltd to extract an extra $13 million in service fees from the pools in 2002-2003 when these pools held fewer than five million tonnes of wheat.
Mr Holland referred to the arrangements as "secret wheat business". He said AWB International had told a Senate inquiry into the operation of the single-desk wheat export system that it provided 77 services to the pools but had refused to say what they were. No other provider can even tender, he said. He found it hard to believe there were not more services, other than harvest loans, that couldn't be delivered under competitive arrangements.
Ian McColl, also of Cowra, seconded the motion. The resolution was passed by the conference.
The Land, 24/7/04.
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