Australia’s grain customers can have renewed confidence in the product they’re buying, now the vast majority of the crop is covered by whole-of-supply-chain quality guidelines.
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The Australian Grain Industry Code of Practice is now mandatory for members of Grain Trade Australia (GTA), whose members handle an estimated 90 per cent or more of all grain traded in and exported from Australia.
GTA Chairman Peter Reading has told the Australian Grains Industry Conference in Melbourne that members overwhelmingly supported the idea of making the Code mandatory. <editors: speech presented Monday 28 July 2014>
“Australian grain has an excellent reputation for quality, but it would be very naive to expect our customers will place future orders based purely on past performance,” Mr Reading said.
“The Code outlines practices for all sectors of the grain industry, from on-farm to the port, which will help to ensure that Australian grain and grain products meet domestic and export customer requirements.
“It was developed through 18 months of consultation and demonstrates the industry’s commitment to the delivery of a quality product.”
Mr Reading said Australia is the only grain-exporting country with such a Code.
“We’re reliant on exports for our ongoing viability, with an average of 60 per cent of Australia’s production exported annually,” he said.
“In recent years, the significance of Asian markets has increased and they now take 70 per cent of our wheat exports. Another trend has been the growth in the container trade with between 2 to 2.5 million tonnes now being exported in this form.
“By being pro-active, the industry is helping to ensure end users, both domestic and export, can buy with confidence and understand the quality systems in place.
“This will result in a more profitable grain industry for all participants who have invested time, hard work and financial resources in implementing quality practices,” Mr Reading said.