Huge grain market potential in South Australia

 

 

Leaders from the South Australia's major grain sectors are being brought together to formulate ways to drive the industry forward.

 

Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA) has set up six working groups to look at grain supply to livestock, bakery, noodles and biscuits, pasta/ durum wheat, malting beverages, food oils and whole grain foods, such as peas and lentils.

 

The groups are meeting during the next few weeks to nut out the key issues that need to be addressed. This work will culminate in a roundtable event in September.

 

PIRSA manager of grains industry development Dave Lewis said two years of work had gone into developing the programme, the first of its kind in Australia.

 

Lewis said this work tied-in with the SA Food Strategy, released before the March State election.

 

"At the end of the day, the grain industry needs to work towards meeting the targets the Food Strategy wants to achieve," he said.

 

Some of these include generating A$16 billion in revenue by 2015 and reducing the sector's impact on the environment.

 

PIRSA released the overview at an Agribusiness Association of Australia event in Adelaide last Thursday, detailing domestic and international trends for the range of SA grain markets, including food products, animal feed and industrial.

 

Representatives for the livestock sector include Lauckes Feed Mills, ACE Livestock Consulting, Viterra, Balco, the South Australian Farmers' Federation, the SA Research & Development Institute and PIRSA.

 

SAFF grains committee member David Malpas, Lucindale, is part of the livestock committee. He said the first meeting was very positive for all involved.