SINGLE DESK TO STAY

The decision to retain the single desk wheat export marketing system is a win for wheat growers and for common sense NSW Nationals Senator Fiona Nash said today. The Federal Coalition Government has announced the single desk will stay, but the management will be transferred from AWB to a grower owned and managed company, to be established by March 2008. In the meantime Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran will retain his temporary veto power on wheat export licences with AWB retaining management of the national wheat pool for the 2007/08 harvest. “It has been a long and at times arduous road, but today’s announcement reflects the overwhelming feeling among growers that the single desk should stay,” Senator Nash said. “When it all boils down, this debate was only ever about putting in place a system that growers wanted; one that would serve their best interests and secure them maximum returns from international markets. “I have talked with countless growers about this issue over the last 15 months or so and overwhelmingly the message I got was that the vast majority of growers want the single desk to stay. “There were certainly diverse views on the best way forward, all of which the Coalition Government listened to and considered, but essentially the best option was to implement the wish of the vast majority of growers who have fought long and loud for the single desk. “From the beginning of this debate, the Nationals pledged to fight on behalf of growers, to champion the system they wanted in place and by far the vast majority wanted the single desk to remain.” Senator Nash said it’s important not to lose sight of the reasons why Australia has a single desk for the export marketing of wheat. "The circumstances which led to the current single desk arrangements have not changed since 1989 when the single desk was set up to help our wheat growers compete in a distorted international wheat market,” Senator Nash said. "The industry now has more than nine months to establish a grower owned and controlled body that, in managing the wheat pool, preserves the international market advantage the single desk was set up to achieve.” Media contact: Julie Siegert 0429 818 600

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