Western Australia will lead the National Oat Breeding Program and become a centre for excellence in oat research and development in a major coup for local farmers and local jobs.
WA-based cereal breeder InterGrain will deliver the program with co-investment from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and the McGowan Government, and will incorporate the National Oaten Hay Breeding Program, funded by AgriFutures Australia.
InterGrain is co-owned by the Western Australian Government and the GRDC. In 2017, the McGowan Government put a stop to processes started under the Liberal-National Government to sell the State’s majority holding of InterGrain to eastern states interests.
The program will help to establish WA as a centre for excellence in oat research, building on the McGowan Government’s efforts to rebuild agricultural scientific capability to deliver for local farmers.
It will support the McGowan Government’s $10.1 million election commitment towards a Processed Oats Industry Growth Partnership to double the value of the State’s oat industry.
InterGrain will collaborate with the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre and the Western Crop Genetics Alliance as part of the program.
The National Oat Breeding Program was previously led by the South Australian Research and Development Institute.
WA is the nation’s largest producer of food grade milling oats, as well as a significant contributor to the oaten hay exports.
As stated by Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan:
“This is a terrific result for WA and one that will deliver on-the-ground benefits to local farmers.
“Our government kept InterGrain in WA and in public hands, and has invested heavily over the past four years to rebuild the State’s agricultural scientific capabilities.
“Those efforts are paying off, with our national funding partners recognising that WA can and should play a bigger role in delivering cutting edge research and development that supports farmers across the country.
“Alongside our $10.1 million election commitment towards oats, leading the National Oat Breeding Program will help WA farmers capture a greater share of the burgeoning international market demand for superfoods like oats.
“It will help farmers to diversify their products and markets, improve their productivity and profitability, and drive local jobs across regional WA.”
