DEMAND for Australian Noodle wheat (ANW) is set to rise by up to 150,000 tonnes next year, after a 20 per cent increase in the ANW component of the Japanese Australian Soft White (ASW) Noodle blend was announced last week.
Traditionally, Japan imports ASW wheat made up of 60pc ANW and 40pc of Australian Premium White (APW) varieties.
However, following a request from the Japan Flour Millers’ Association (JFMA) to Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) earlier this year to improve colour and elasticity in udon noodles, tender specifications have changed.
As of January 2019, the ANW component will be increased to 80pc of the ASW blend, with the remaining 20pc made up of Australian Premium White Noodle (APWN).
GIWA wheat council chairperson Brad Gosling said the changes were a result of positive feedback of new Noodle wheat varieties such as Zen and Ninja.
“Our Japanese trading partners have expressed positive feedback about the eating qualities of new Noodle wheat varieties being developed in WA,” Mr Gosling said.
“Combined with strong production forecasts, they have decided to increase ANW in the blend from 60pc to 80pc for shipments from January 2019.
“Through extensive collaboration with the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC), the Japanese have also clarified the bread wheat varieties that make for an optimal combined ASW cargo blend.
“The optimal blending bread wheat varieties which have traditionally been from the APW class, will now be listed on the MAFF tender specifications as the APWN class, and from January 2019 APWN will make up 20pc of the cargo volume to Japan.”
APWN is an allowable grade in the Grain Trade Australia wheat standards first established 10 years ago, with protein requirements between 10pc and 11.5pc and a minimum test weight of 76 kilograms per hectolitre.
CBH Group general manager of operations Dave Capper said CBH would offer the APWN segregation this upcoming harvest in the Albany, Geraldton and Kwinana port zones.
Varieties accepted into APWN will be Mace, Bonnie Rock, Westonia, Wyalkatchem, LRPB Scout, Envoy and Chief.
“CBH will re-introduce an APWN segregation this harvest which is an APW segregation that accepts varieties that are preferred by our international customers for making noodles,” Mr Capper said.
“The segregation will be available at a limited number of sites determined through storage planning.
“It will be available to all marketers.
“We’ve listened to our customers, particularly noodle-making customers, and considered their need to access the best ingredients for their products, while maintaining access for our growers to this premium niche market.”
About 12pc of WA’s wheat crop has been planted to Noodle wheat varieties this year, equating to about 1.2mt.
Mr Gosling said changes to the blend meant growers would notice some market changes, with an increased demand for ANW of up to 150,000 tonnes in 2019.
“The change to the blend for shipments starting January 2019 will mean that growers will see a slight change in the buying patterns of grain marketers for harvest 2018-19, as the marketers now need a slightly different mix of wheat grades to participate in the Japanese tender,” he said.
“Marketers will be targeting ANW and APWN from WA growers to fulfil the needs of the Japanese ASW blend requirements.
“Certainly the additional demand for ANW through a higher ratio inclusion in the tender is positive for growers producing Noodle varieties.
“Supplying the additional demand for ANW will be greatly assisted by strong production expectations in WA this harvest, but the increased inclusion of ANW is a long term positive for WA noodle wheat producers.”