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Short supply of oats expected this year in Western Australia
Western Australia
October 31, 2006

As with all crops this harvest, oat receivals and oat grain quality are expected to be well down on normal.
The short supply of oats this year is expected to result in increased pressure for export and domestic milling markets.

The Western Oat Alliance (WOA) acknowledges that the exceptional circumstances experienced this year could result in marketers seeking varieties not normally accepted into the milling segregation.

WOA chairman Ray Marshall explained, “Normally the oat industry would prefer to maintain these segregations to preserve the integrity of the milling stack. However, with supply expected to be well down, marketers may seek traditional feed (Oat 2) varieties such as Wandering and provisional milling varieties such as Kojonup for milling markets.”

“These varieties would still be required to meet the current milling (Oat 1) standards. For this coming season growers are allowed up to 15% screenings and a minimum hectolitre weight of 51 kg/hl for delivery as Oat 1,” Mr Marshall said. “This scenario and change in standards would only be in place for this harvest and we would expect segregations to return to normal next year.”

The new provisional milling variety Kojonup is yet to complete industry milling evaluation. Whilst some samples of Kojonup have been assessed overseas, the sample scheduled for testing in Western Australia early this year did not meet the milling standards. As a consequence the trial has been delayed, delaying classification until 2007.

AgraCorp Oat Marketing Manager Jason Craig said the GrainPool is currently accumulating tonnage of Kojonup for milling trials. The milling trials are scheduled to be conducted early in the New Year at the Quaker Oats plant in Forrestfield.

“The WOA has made the milling evaluation of Kojonup a priority,” Mr Craig said. “The grain for the evaluation trials still needs to meet milling standards. If it doesn’t, particularly due to seasonal circumstances, the trial will be delayed another 12 months to ensure a fair trial.”

The WOA has acknowledged the risks associated with releasing varieties as provisional.

“Growers are expected to take a chance on a new variety that it might pass industry trials and be accepted as a milling variety,” said Mr Marshall. “Should a variety not be accepted or trials delayed as with the case of Kojonup, growers can get frustrated and disappointed.”

To prevent this situation occurring with future oat releases, the WOA has endorsed recommendations for a milling evaluation protocol for newly released varieties into
Western Australia.

Mr Marshall said any oat variety earmarked for the
Western Australian milling industry will be required to undergo industry milling evaluation prior to the release.

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