THE Australian Exports Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) has been given the go-ahead from its members, the Western Australian Agriculture Authority (WAAA) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), to continue for a further two years, until June 2022.
AEGIC chairman Terry Enright said funding of $6 million had been secured through it members, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and the GRDC, to continue its valuable work with offshore markets to create opportunities for grain growers.
A DPIRD spokesperson said WAAA (the State government) had extended funding for AEGIC of $3 million annually for the next two years, while the GRDC has also allocated $3m each year.
The funding is similar to the $5 million allocated in 2019 and $6m provided in 2018.
DPIRD said the agreement also contained provision for WAAA to provide additional funding of $1m for project specific funding that AEGIC could apply for.
The spokesperson, along with the GRDC said the Australian and WA grains industry benefited from AEGIC's work: on in-depth analyses of long-term economic and consumer demand trends to identify threats to existing markets, possible new markets and opportunities, with international grain customers to tailor grain varieties to market requirements, to develop new uses for existing grain, to develop technology to improve end-use performance and provide technical support and training for Australian grain customers.
"The value of AEGIC's work in quality improvement and targeting premium markets is of great value to growers, particularly in Western Australia with its strong reliance on export markets," DPIRD said.
Mr Enright said there had been no changes to the structure or board of AEGIC and it would continue "as is" with a "program already worked out for this year".
"We are going to be continuing the work we have been doing in India and building on the work we have done in South East Asia and China," Mr Enright said.
In recent times AEGIC has been working on emerging markets such as Myanmar to capitalise on that market as it opens up and shifts from containerised to bulk, as well as working to secure existing markets such as Japan and Korea where there has been a strong presence - the Udon noodle market that is worth more than $600 million a year.
He said while Australian grain growers were AEGIC's "ultimate customers" they did the majority of their work with exporters and offshore markets out of sight of the farmgate.
"Most of the work we do is offshore and not visible at the farmgate," Mr Enright said.
"But there will be benefits to the farmgate further down the track."
Mr Enright said it was important to recognise that AEGIC was established to work with researchers in wheat, barley and other grain markets and support Aussie grain customers.
AEGIC was set up in 2014, and Mr Enright was appointed chairman then.
"The first five years have been a building phase and now we are in a better place to continue that work," he said.
Like a lot of start-ups, he said it took some time to mature.
Mr Enright said since 2014 AEGIC had made valuable contributions to the grain supply chain and provided some good advice to the industry.
He said the aim was to ensure Australian customers were competitive internationally and nationally, not just in WA.
