An independent expert group advising the Rudd Government on its wheat marketing reforms has delivered a comprehensive report to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke.

The Minister met the head of the expert group, South Australian grain grower John Crosby, to discuss its final report on the future delivery of industry development functions.

The report makes a number of recommendations, including:

• the industry has the capacity to deliver most of its key development functions under the Rudd Government’s wheat marketing reforms
• the Government should play a role in collecting and distributing information to growers on the production and marketing of wheat
• the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics should collect and distribute key information such as the production, export and availability of wheat
• the National Agricultural Commodities Marketing Association should set wheat receival standards, and
• the Grains Research and Development Corporation should take on responsibility for the establishment and operation of a wheat variety classification panel.  

Minister Burke thanked all panel members for their work, including Mr Crosby and other members Gail Dowie, Geoff Honey, Dan Mangelsdorf, Geoff Nalder, Graham Shields and David Thomas.

Mr Burke said he would consider the expert panel’s recommendations before commenting in detail, but he was encouraged by indications that industry was well-positioned to deliver on many industry development functions under the new system.

“The Government will look closely at the group’s recommendations as a key part of our detailed consultation on the wheat marketing reforms,” Mr Burke said.

“The independent expert group received more than 40 submissions and members brought a wealth of experience to the review.”