WA farm group blasts AWB over wheat pool costs Tuesday, 10 October 2006
WA wheatgrowers who deliver this season’s wheat to AWB could face cost deductions of more than $60 a tonne, according to PGA Western Graingrowers Chairman Leon Bradley.
Mr Bradley is in Canberra with a WA Pastoralists and Graziers Association (PGA) delegation urging the Howard Government to transfer the Wheat Single Desk to the Wheat Export Authority within three weeks.
He said today that, as more growers withheld their wheat from AWB pools, the higher the costs would climb for the remaining poolers.
“PGA calculations are based on exports of WA wheat of only 4 million tonnes this year, with WA’s share of AWB’s $65 million base fee set at $16.25 per tonne delivered," he said.
“If that tonnage reduces to 2 million tonnes as wheatgrowers defect from the pools, the cost per tonne could double.”
Mr Bradley said it was also becoming apparent that, as the AWB’s position deteriorated day by day, the monopoly was approaching larger WA growers to plead for their wheat.
“They are getting a poor response.
"The word is out that the $8 per tonne increase in pool returns announced yesterday is well below expectation."
Mr Bradley said once again, the fate of WA wheatgrowers could be adversely influenced by the Grains Council of Australia and by Federal politicians.
“This is now a crisis for WA growers.
"Grains Council can no longer remain deaf and blind to the issue," he said.
“If John Howard fails to transfer the wheat monopoly from AWB to the Wheat Export Authority, there will again be no-one but AWB to buy our grain."
SOURCE: National news from Rural Press weekly agricultural papers, updated daily on FarmOnline.
