Western Australia is taking centre stage at the Oat2022 International Oat Conference in Perth today, showcasing the State’s paddock-to-plate investments and scientific advances to grow this diverse industry.
The McGowan Government’s significant research and industry development effort aims to capture a share of forecast growth in the global oat market.
International demand is increasing for food grade oats, while strong domestic and export demand continues for feed grain and oaten hay. This demand has been driven by high value health food properties and agronomic qualities to stimulate soil biology.
Western Australia is the nation’s biggest oat producing State, forecast to exceed 500,000 tonnes this harvest, of which about 80 per cent will be exported as milling grain and hay.
The State Government has invested $10.12 million in the Processed Oat Partnership in WA to support on-farm research, new oat products and innovations in oat processing to spur industry growth over the next 20 years.
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development research is looking at increasing the yield and quality of WA oats, as well as the nutritional composition of the grain.
Since 2021, the National Oat Breeding Program is once again being led from Western Australia, managed by cereal breeding company InterGrain, co-owned by the WA Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).
InterGrain is working closely with the Western Crop Genetics Alliance, a collaboration between the WA Government and Murdoch University, to lay the groundwork for new high-performance grain and oaten hay varieties suited to WA conditions.
The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre, another WA Government-GRDC joint venture, is growing markets in Asia and developing innovative oat products such as noodles, rice, couscous, bubble tea pearls and sauces, which has attracted international interest.
As stated by Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan:
“The McGowan Government is backing the development of WA’s oat industry to help it grow and realise its potential as a valued supplier of premium product.
“Our oat industry is well placed to secure a share of increasing global demand, with our close proximity to Asian markets, sun ripened crops and sophisticated, clean and safe production system.
“A lot of good work is going on throughout the grains supply chain to pursue improvements and attract further investment to create a bright future for this unique industry.”
