WHEN it comes to celebrating a birthday or anniversary, it's standard to blow out some candles and receive a few presents.
Australia's largest plant breeding company has done things a little differently, having celebrated its 20th anniversary by donating funds to much-needed WA community projects.
Over the past three months, Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) has contributed $20,000 to five regional communities.
Through the purchase of seed, payment of royalties and submitting harvest declarations, growers in regions all around Australia have shown loyalty to the company.
AGT chief executive officer Haydn Kuchel said their ability to reach this milestone - by delivering market-leading varieties in every mainland State - was due entirely to growers and the communities that support them.
"With each of our breeding centres based in rural communities, we recognise that we all operate with the support of the communities in which we live and work," Mr Kuchel said.
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"We are also aware that many of these communities have facilities that are in need of repair or upgrades in order to maintain the interest of young families in staying on the land.
"The donations have been made to help these communities rebuild/repair or maintain their quality of life."
In WA, the donations were spread over three months and involved road trips from AGT's Northam breeding centre to Yuna, Condingup, Dalwallinu, North Ravensthorpe and Cascade.
Cascade received funds for a multi-age playground to suit toddlers through to teenagers, while the North Ravensthorpe Community Association will build a play gym in an enclosed sand pit for children aged five and over.
In the north, the AGT donation will be directed by Yuna Country Women's Association (CWA) towards their Engine Room Project.
The building has a very long history on the grounds, with its original jam wood stumps still in place and history of being used as an infant welfare centre, meeting room for the 'Younger Set' of CWA in the 1950s and in more recent times as the community playgroup building.
Yuna CWA branch manager Susanne Warr said the building, which is more than 100-years-old, was damaged by ex-Tropical Cyclone Seroja last year and insurance wouldn't cover the repair costs.
"Under the umbrella of CWA we look after women and children, so supporting mums within the community is a pillar for us and a lot of young mums join CWA once they join the playgroup because of that connection," Ms Warr said.
"Without the funding from AGT, that building would have had to have been let go, instead we can now restore it, keep its history and keep having it serve our community.
"All the asbestos is coming off the outside of the building and we're putting a new Colorbond roof on, so the whole building will come up to today's safety standards."
The last two projects included a new multi-purpose early learning centre for the Dalwallinu Child Care Centre and expansion of the community centre at Condingup.
For AGT, reaching 20 years of breeding in Australia was a significant milestone, especially considering when the company started out wheat breeding was purely the domain of government and academia.
It was one of the first private enterprise breeding companies and there were many financial barriers and industry reservations that at times seemed insurmountable.
Now AGT is the biggest plant breeding company in Australia and the market leader in wheat genetics.
Mr Kuchel said AGT expanded from being a small, southern focussed wheat breeding organisation to a national company.
"We have well-equipped breeding facilities in each of the four Australian agro-ecological zones, staffed with talented and dedicated teams that address the needs of local growers," he said.
"There is recent export success of a high amylose (dietary fibre) variety of wheat, developed by AGT in partnership with ARISTA Cereal Technologies that will be marketed in the USA and Japan.
"We have also expanded our research and development efforts beyond wheat into crops like barley, durum, lupins and now canola."
This year AGT is releasing a new herbicide tolerant barley which will be available for growers for the 2023 season.
It is also launching its first canola varieties, giving growers choice with access to new and competitive open pollinated canola.
