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Labor heeds grain concerns
20 Aug 2004
Labor has pledged that feed-grain users will have better access to the Wheat Export Authority to help stop it from selling grain cheaply overseas at the expense of the domestic market. The dairy, poultry, pork and other intensive industries would regularly consult WEA, the regulator of AWB International.
Intensive feed-grain users consume about one-third of Australia's grains crop and they want WEA to treat them as a major wheat market, in addition to the countries to which AWB exports.
Agriculture Minister Warren Truss said intensive farmers already meet with AWB, ABB and the Grains Council of Australia sporadically. But as the nation's domestic grain market is wholly deregulated, grain prices for Australian users are set by availability, demand and production.
Australian Pork Ltd wants producers to have formal access to WEA to ensure it doesn't only look at export markets for wheat. Chairman Paul Higgins said APL believes intensive industries will become an even more important grains market.
Australian Financial Review, 20/8/04.
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