Australian Oilseeds Federation won’t amalgamate into Grains Australia, instead inking a ‘valuable’ MOU

The main industry body for Australia’s powerhouse oilseed sector won’t be amalgamated into Grains Australia but the two organisations have instead inked a memorandum of understanding to work together. Australian Oilseeds Federation and Grains Australia unveiled the signed memorandum of understanding this month, releasing a statement to say it formalised a “positive and co-operative working relationship” to benefit the $8.5 billion oilseeds industry. Grains Australia has been powering on with its plans to bring together fragmented parts of the nation’s grains “good functions” groups during the past two and a half years. Bodies similar to Australian Oilseeds Federation — including Wheat Quality Australia, Grain Market Access Forum and Barley Australia — were all amalgamated during that time, with discussions about others still under way. The statement said the MOU would deliver outcomes to benefit the Australian oilseeds industry and the broader grains industry, “by ensuring a high level of collaboration, service and support between AOF and Grains Australia”. Australian Oilseeds Federation president Rosemary Richards said the board would act as a reference group for Grains Australia on matters related to the nation’s burgeoning oilseeds industry, and provide advice and insights. “Our focus is on generating value for the industry, and effective collaboration... is essential to deliver what our growers, traders, processors, researchers and consumers need,” she said. “Under the MOU, the Australian Oilseeds Federation will also provide expertise, information and insights to support Grains Australia’s delivery of trade and market access and classification projects and other priorities related to oilseeds, oil and meal.” Grains Australia chair Terry Enright said the Australian Oilseeds Federation had a well-established, evidence-based platform for oilseeds research and development, but Grains Australia would deliver trade, market access and classification-related activities. “We are committed to working effectively with the organisation for the benefit of the oilseeds industry and welcome this MOU as a formal starting point for a new valuable working relationship,” he said. Australian Oilseeds Federation was set up in 1970 to represent the interests of Australian oilseed industry participants and promote the development, expansion and improvement of local oilseed production. It represents industry including service providers, researchers, growers, oilseed traders and marketers, processors and consumers. Once a minor crop in the 1980s, the nation’s most popular oilseed crop canola is now the nation’s third-biggest broadacre crop — only behind wheat and barley. Australian farmers produce between 1.9 to 2.7 million tonnes of canola each year, with the recent national crop worth $6.1b. Strong demand for biodiesel in Europe and the US is also fuelling huge demand for Australian canola. About a million tonnes is crushed domestically for the cooking oil and food ingredients sectors, while the rest is exported.