South Perth, Western Australia
August 19, 2003

The Western Australia Department of Agriculture has developed two new wheat varieties destined for the Asian market.

Department Director General Graeme Robertson said the new variety EGA Blanco produced exceptionally white flour.

"Whiteness is a key quality consideration for the Asian steamed bread market,  where the preference is for flour capable of producing steamed breads with a smooth white skin, free of blemishes," Dr Robertson said.

"The potential of EGA Blanco was first identified at the Department's Grain Products Laboratory. It performed well in laboratory tests for steamed bread. Further tests at BRI Australia and Agrifood Technology where the product was rated highly for appearance and texture, providing further confirmation of the potential of EGA Blanco for steamed bread," he said.

"Steamed bread is a staple food in many parts of Asia. The outstanding qualities of EGA Blanco represent an opportunity for wheat marketers to pursue the potential development of a premium market," he said.

The other variety with promise for Asian markets is EGA Jitarning. It is a long season Australian Soft wheat, which has potential for the main soft wheat markets of South Korea, Malaysia and South China. Australian soft wheat can be used in sweet biscuits, cakes and snack food products.

Both varieties offer benefits to growers though high yields and diseases resistance, which provides production advantages in addition to market premiums.

Wheat breeders at the Department of Agriculture selected the two varieties for quality in response to developing markets requirements, as part of the national breeding program known as Enterprise Grains Australia (EGA). The wheats were bred using traditional cross breeding techniques and are covered by Plant Breeders Rights.

The wheat varieties were launched at Bentley Hospitality Institute at Swan TAFE, which runs the Western Australia Baking Academy. It is the only provider of baking and pastry cooking training in Western Australia.