Press Release

Rick Wilson, Grains Chairman for the Pastoralists and Graziers’ Association said the same old players were lining up once more to impose their high-cost, outmoded philosophies on Australia’s grains industry.

“Growers and politicians must remember that Grains Council of Australia ‘died in the trenches’ defending the AWB export wheat monopoly  while being  totally blind and deaf to clear evidence that the wheat export single desk was costing Western Australian grain growers hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Mr Wilson said these were amongst the reasons the PGA would never rejoin Grains Council of Australia and would actively continue to pursue affiliations with South Australian Farmers and other progressive grain grower groups in Australia.

One of these reasons was that the GCA charter allowed only one vote per State on policy matters.

“Under the proposed structure, you can’t be a member of GCA unless you are a member of NFF and like GCA, NFF will allow only one vote per State.”

“Where is there room in that type of arrangement for organisations like the PGA that wants to deal with facts and common sense to allow their members to take their industry forward?”

Mr Wilson said the global grain industry had already moved beyond the ideology and the old political tactics of Grains Council.

“Some of the world’s biggest grain interests, as well as progressive grain producers in WA and the other States are already joining with PGA to keep the grain industry competitive and moving ahead.”

“We will be working hard to ensure that our members and affiliates will no longer be held ransom to another costly GCA gerrymander.”