Australia
August 27, 2010

Australia’s wheat breeding capacity has been strengthened with InterGrain Pty Ltd entering into a collaboration agreement with agricultural company Monsanto.

GRDC Chairman, Mr Keith Perrett, said this collaboration will deliver significant increases in wheat performance for Australian growers, and will target improvements in areas such as yield performance, disease resistance, drought tolerance and improved end use qualities.

"As an InterGrain shareholder, the GRDC Board supports the InterGrain Board decision for Monsanto to purchase a minority interest in InterGrain," Mr Perrett said.

"It is a positive step forward for the Australian grains industry as it links Australian breeding with the global R&D effort.

"Australia must tap into global R&D to make the necessary advances in breeding to serve the Australian grains industry into the future.

"We are working to ensure growers have access to superior varieties that enable them to effectively compete in global grain markets.

"The GRDC targets its investment in R&D so as to best serve growers and to meet federal government priorities.

"The GRDC’s wheat breeding strategy aims to build and sustain world-leading breeding programs and ensure that improved grain varieties are developed for Australian growers," Mr Perrett said.

Monsanto is a global bioscience technology company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States, and has locations in multiple locations around the world. Monsanto Company is a global provider of technology based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.

Australian growers – through the Western Australian Government and the GRDC — will continue to maintain the majority stake in InterGrain.

InterGrain Pty Ltd is one of Australia's leading cereal breeding companies with successful wheat and barley breeding programs. InterGrain was established in October 2007 by the State Government of Western Australia and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), when the wheat breeding activities of the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia were transformed from a government based operation into a commercial company structure.

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

Published: August 27, 2010