Oat industry says thanks to stalwart Ray Marshall after nearly 30 years of service

One of the oat industry’s major stalwarts has stepped down from his nearly 30 year position on both the Grain Industry Association of WA’s oat council and its prior form, the Western Oats Alliance.

Pingelly farmer Ray Marshall was waved off with plenty of fanfare at the GIWA oat council’s most recent meeting in Perth in September, saying so long but not farewell to the $200 million industry he has been involved with since the 1990s.

He is easing into retirement after decades of dedication to industry.

GIWA oat council chair Ashley Wiese said Mr Marshall was the “longest-serving overseer” of the oat industry, in recent times.

“For more than 20 years Ray has always been involved in steering the WA Oat industry in the right direction,” Mr Wiese said.

“He is one of a handful of people who are always working quietly in the background making sure the industry in on the right path.”

Mr Marshall was a founding member of the GIWA oat council’s prior form, the Western Oats Alliance, in the early 1990s and said the industry had evolved dramatically during the past 30 years.

He described the oat industry as the “poor cousin” of other commodities including wheat and barley until the 2000s when he — and other members of the alliance and council — fought hard to earn and maintain oats’ position on the dining room table.

Australia is one of the world’s biggest oat producers, but oats make up just one per cent of WA’s crop composition each year.

About 600,000 tonnes of grain worth $200m is harvested in WA each year, and 600,000t of hay.

For more than 20 years Ray has always been involved in steering the WA Oat industry in the right direction.

The Western Oat Alliance was established in in the late 1990s with one goal in mind — reconstructing WA’s flailing oat industry.

It involved members from WAFarmers, the Pastoralists and Graziers Association, Premium Grain Handlers, Quaker Oats, and the Department of Agriculture.

The group suffered a setback when, in 2003, the National Oat Breeding Program was moved to South Australia under the South Australian Research and Development Institute — but various terms and conditions involved in that arrangement meant WA retained an oat agronomy team.

But in a boon for the west, the program was relocated to WA this year with a $115 million commercial breeding program carried out by plant breeder InterGrain, after a competitive tender process.

Mr Marshall said the human health benefits of oats became more well-known in the 2000s and a marketing push ensued to drive up demand.

“The Oat Council still consists of the whole oat industry — hay and grain,” Mr Marshall said.

“It is an exciting vision that a sustainable and profitable WA oat industry will prosper and endure well into the 21st century.”