A panamax cargo of canola bound for Europe loads at Bunbury in Western Australia in 2021. Informing the Australian Government with regards to importing and exporting countries’ weed seed and other tolerances is expected to fall into the orbit of Grains Australia’s Grains Market Access Council. Photo: Bunge WA

THE Board of Grains Australia has decided to establish a new Grains Market Access Council to provide advice to the Board on current and emerging trade and market access (T&MA) matters, activities and initiatives to generate value for the Australian grains industry.

Expressions of interest (EOIs) are now open for GMAC.

Grains Australia has invited applications from people with skills and experience across the grains industry, particularly in the areas of: public policy; trade; production; supply-chain optimisation; market development and/or customer engagement.

This is one of several advisory bodies being established by Grains Australia to provide advice and make recommendations to the board across all commodities, with barley, oat and wheat councils already in operation.

GMAC will include representatives from each of the Grains Australia commodity councils, plus individuals with the required skills and experience selected through the EOI process, with a maximum of 15 members.

Grains Australia CEO Richard Simonaitis said the new council will ensure streamlined coordination of whole-of-industry responses to current and future trade and market access matters and priorities across commodities.

Richard Simonaitis.

“This council will work closely with other relevant groups to ensure whole-of-industry perspectives on trade and market access matters, so we invite anyone with experience on other similar bodies to put in their expression of interest,” Mr Simonaitis said.

“It’s an opportunity to provide advice to the Grains Australia Board about how we can best generate value for the Australian grains industry from the trade of our products to new markets or with improved access to key markets.”

“The Selection Panel will be looking to appoint individuals based on their skills and experience; their diversity in terms of gender, background, supply chain knowledge and geography; and of course, on the basis that they have a deep understanding of trade and market access matters for the Australian grain industry.”

Source: Grains Australia

BACKGROUND: GMAC is expected to assume much of the role played by the Grains Industry Market Access Forum, which was absorbed into Grains Australia in October 2021.

GIMAF was formed in 2011 to fill the market-access void created when AWB and state-based grain-marketing boards disbanded.

It advised the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment on issues such as weed-seed tolerances for Australian grains, seed and fodder in individual markets for the purposes of bilateral trade.

GIMAF also engaged with commodity-based groups including Pulse Australia, the Australian Oilseeds Federation, and Sunrice, as well as broader industry groups.