June 2025 | NEWSLETTER

Grains Australia brings together critical functions for the grains industry to enhance competitiveness and profitability.

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CEO Check In

Grains Australia continues to pursue a coordinated, cross-industry approach to maintaining and expanding market access.

This is critical work and never more important given the factors that are impacting international trade.

As CEO, I take an active role in market engagement and next month will travel to China to present at the 16^th Cereals and Oils Conference in Guilin, Guangxi Province, hosted by the China Chamber of Commerce of Import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal By-Products (CFNA).

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Su McCluskey, Special Representative for Australian Agriculture, addresses the Grains Australia GMAC meeting.

Grains Australia welcomes special guest

Grains Australia welcomed Su McCluskey, Special Representative for Australian Agriculture, as a guest speaker at its recent Grains Market Access Council (GMAC) meeting in Melbourne.

Ms McCluskey shared valuable insights on trade challenges, strategic considerations for domestic and global engagement, and reflections on the future of Australian agriculture.

GMAC provides strategic advice to the Grains Australia Board on trade and market access matters.

Grains Australia Director

Earlier this year, grower Andrew Earle stepped down as a Grains Australia Board member to take up a position on the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Board.

Grains Australia appreciates Mr Earle’s valuable contributions while serving on our Board, his service on our Audit and Risk Committee and the three years he spent previously on the Advisory Committee during our establishment phase.

Grains Australia and its Director Selection Committee, which includes representatives from Grains Australia's member GRDC, Grain Producers Australia (GPA) and Grain Growers Limited (GGL), will be looking for new director candidates for appointment at the Grains Australia Annual General Meeting on 10 October.

Council rotations and appointments

Grains Australia's Barley and Wheat Councils will soon rotate members as part of a process to ensure new industry perspectives, balanced governance and development of industry talent. Appointments will be for three-year terms.

New South Wales grower Tom Greentree has been appointed to the Pulse Council to fill a vacancy after Anne Wilkins stepped down from the Council to join GMAC.

Classification

Malting barley accreditation for Laperouse

Grains Australia is pleased to announce that the barley variety Laperouse has been accredited as malting barley.

Laperouse was submitted by SECOBRA Research and Seednet, and was accredited as malting barley following evaluation by the Grains Australia Malting and Brewing Industry Barley Technical Committee (MBIBTC).

Classification frameworks for pulses

Adding to the varietal classification framework that is being refined for lentils, Grains Australia is close to finalising a national framework for faba beans. Work has commenced on a framework for lupins.

Varietal classification frameworks add value to the Australian pulse industry through enabling differentiation based on inherent quality characteristics desired by customers.

The new Grains Australia Pulse Varietal Classification Technical committee met for the first time in April. It will consider applications for classification and assess the quality of pulse varieties against the technical requirements of classes.

Classification Panel boosted by new members

Grains Australia’s Wheat Variety Classification Panel met during May for its annual face-to-face meeting.

The new full panel member and the two associate members (undergoing development and training in classification) joined the meeting.

Trade and Market Access

GLNC General Manager Kathy La Macchia, a member of Grains Australia's Pulse Council, addresses AGIC India.

Building market access in South Asia

The Australian grain industry has been trading various grains into South Asia for decades. Including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, Australia’s principal exports in recent years have been lentils, chickpeas, canola and wheat, with smaller quantities of oats and barley.

Yet ask anyone involved and they will say there is opportunity to do more, provided you do the work. It might sound simple, but international trade, particularly in staple food products such as grain, is actually very complex.

Market engagement at Singapore pulse event

Grains Australia Pulse Council Chair Peter Wilson and Grains Australia Senior Manager Trade and Market Access Peter Breguet attended the recent Global Pulse Confederation’s (GPC) Pulses 25 event in Singapore.

Grains Australia’s presence kept the focus on ongoing engagement with the Indian market and provided an opportunity to join with Australian Embassy colleagues and engage further with the Chinese pulse industry, which is now partnered with the GPC events.

Grains Australia engagement with the Chinese pulse industry is important given continuing efforts to reinvigorate Australian faba bean and lupin access into China.

Partnering for inaugural conference in India

Grains Australia was a Partner of Grain Trade Australia’s (GTA) inaugural 2025 Australian Grain Industry Conference (AGIC) India in Mumbai, with technical support from AEGIC.

Grains Australia was represented at the event by John Ackerman and Peter Breguet from its Trade and Market Access team, with Kathy La Macchia from the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council presenting on why Australia is a reliable supplier of healthy, nutritious grain products – highlighting global whole grain trends and barriers to consumption.

Grains Australia CEO Richard Simonaitis addresses the stakeholder function in Adelaide alongside Grains Australia Chair Andrew Young.

Stakeholder event in Adelaide

While in Adelaide recently for Grains Australia Board and Executive team meetings, Grains Australia took the opportunity to host a small event for supply chain representatives and other industry partners.

Following on from a similar event in Perth last year, it was valuable to talk one-on-one with local stakeholders about progress made in classification, trade and market access, market insights and market education, and to hear firsthand individual perspectives.

At AGT’s plant breeding centre are, from left, Grains Australia Chair Andrew Young, Grains Australia Director Rebecca Reardon, Grains Australia General Manager Trade and Market Access, John Ackerman, Grains Australia General Manager Strategy and Communication Natalie Lee, AGT Director of Science and Business Development Tristan Coram, Grains Australia Company Secretary Jen Hindmarsh, Grains Australia Director Stuart Richardson, Grains Australia Chief Financial Officer Ian Rathbone, Grains Australia CEO Richard Simonaitis and AGT CEO Haydn Kuchel.

Plant breeder insights discussed

Grains Australia recently participated in a fact-finding tour at Australian Grain Technologies’ (AGT) plant breeding centre at Roseworthy.

The delegation heard firsthand breeder perspectives on how market insights translate into classification controls, steering decision making in developing varieties that deliver most value for growers and industry.

Engaging with industry stakeholders is a key part of Grains Australia’s approach to identifying priorities and supporting decisions that deliver value and impact across our core functions: classification, market access, market insights and market education.

COUNCIL UPDATES

Grains Australia’s Pulse Council and staff touring Australian Grain Export's faba bean processing facility in Dublin, South Australia, following the Council's meeting in Adelaide.

Grains Australia’s Commodity Councils and the Grains Market Access Council assist in determining its strategic direction.
Click below for information about what was discussed
at Council meetings held from February to May.

Read Council news