Australia
September 22, 2010

A new Western Australian noodle wheat class, developed specifically for the Japanese and Korean markets, is expected to give the State’s growers and marketers increased flexibility.

The Wheat Classification Council (WCC), supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) which oversees Australia’s wheat classification arrangements, has announced the new wheat class Australian Premium White Noodle (APWN).

WCC chairman Robert Sewell said APWN would be segregated in WA starting from this harvest.

“APWN will have excellent noodle quality and high starch pasting attributes to capture the quality previously segregated in the Australian Premium White (APW) class in WA,” he said.

“The new APWN class, tailored to Japanese and Korean blend requirements, was created through industry cooperation.

“The new class should provide WA growers and marketers with greater flexibility and provide a more reliable source of product for these two key markets for Australian wheat.”

Mr Sewell said that, in addition to APWT (Australian Premium White - high starch content) varieties, Wyalkatchem , EGA Bonnie Rock and King Rock had received APWN classifications.

He said the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA) worked closely with WCC to develop the classification requirements for APWN, and its implementation also relied on the cooperation of key traders and the support of Cooperative Bulk Handling (CBH).

“CBH has been able to offer a guarantee to marketers that an APWN segregation will exist for the 2010-11 harvest, and that has given the industry confidence to support this change to the classification system,” Mr Sewell said.

“This is a good example of how industry can work together in a deregulated environment to deliver positive outcomes for the whole industry.”

Further information about the WCC can be found at its website www.wheatclassificationcouncil.com.au

Website: http://www.grdc.com.au

Published: September 22, 2010