Western Australia
May 20, 2014

Williams oats has been approved for milling quality for human consumption, attracting a $5-30 premium over feed varieties.

Western Australia’s newest oat variety, Williams, has been approved for milling quality for human consumption – adding a further $5-30 premium per tonne for growers compared with feed oats.

The variety will be eligible for delivery into the OAT1 grade for the 2014-15 harvest.
Global demand for milling quality oats is increasing, driving the record WA harvest of oats of 540,000 tonnes in 2013.

Williams, released last year by the Department of Agriculture and Food, was developed with the National Oat Breeding Program, led by the South Australian Research and Development Institute, with support from the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

Department Grains Research Laboratories Director Robert Loughman said that Williams, together with the milling variety Bannister, put the WA oats industry in a very strong position.
“These two varieties are the dynamic duo having performed strongly in yield trials over several years,” Dr Loughman said.

“Both have yielded 15 to 20 per cent better than the current major milling varieties and both have robust agronomic characteristics and improved disease resistance.”

Last year the WA oat industry contributed more than $200 million to the WA economy, as demand for quality oats increased.

“Recent exports of WA oat grain have been destined for Mexico, North Asia, South East Asia and South Africa,” Dr Loughman said.

“There is increasing international interest in the health benefits of oats and Williams has been shown to have a high natural level of beta-glucan, one of the healthy parts of oats that can help to lower cholesterol.”

A video on the agronomic performance, disease resistance and quality characteristics of Williams and Bannister oats can be viewed at agric.wa.gov.au by searching for ‘Bannister and Williams oats’. 
 

Website: http://www.agric.wa.gov.au

Published: May 20, 2014