May 29, 2008

West Australia grants two Rapeseed Export Licenses

Western Australia state's Grain Licensing Authority late Wednesday announced it had approved two special rapeseed export licenses from a crop expected to be harvested late in 2008.

One license is for 45,000 tonnes to the South Asia, the other for 40,000 tonnes to the Middle East. Further details of these licenses were not available.

Wayne Obst, chairman of the authority, said the tonnage granted under the licenses was less than applied for, as it is too early in the growing season to grant large quantities of the state's rapeseed crop for export.

However, GLA expects more special export license applications in the coming months, Obst said in a statement.

The licenses cover only a small proportion of the expected total crop in the state, which is still being planted.

This first round of license approvals for 85,000 tonnes from the 2008 crop follows the granting of 220,000 tonnes of barley under multi-season licenses originally applied for up to three years ago, he said.

GLA has the power to approve bulk export shipments of barley, lupins or rapeseed by groups other than majority exporter Grain Pool, a unit of grower-owned Cooperative Bulk Handling Ltd., under the Grain Marketing Act of 2002.