The Board of Enterprise Grains Australia (EGA) has announced that one of the joint venturers, the West Australian Department of Agriculture (WADA), has made a decision to leave the group.

EGA Board Chairman, Murray Rogers AM, said that the intent of the continuing partners, New South Wales Agriculture, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and & Fisheries and the Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC) remained unchanged.

“The continuing partners remain committed to the establishment of a competitive national wheat breeding business, operating under commercial principles and with linkages to key players in the wheat breeding industry in Australia and overseas.”

“Following their own internal analysis over recent months, WADA has made a decision to leave EGA – formerly known as the National Wheat Breeding Program - which was established as a result of the GRDC sponsored review of the nation’s wheat breeding programs and assessment of its future needs,” he said.

Under the current arrangement, WADA will remain a committed partner in EGA until mid 2005. Importantly, WADA has indicated that it is “keen to discuss the establishment of an alliance” with the continuing partners in EGA for the post-2005 period, which will be considered by the continuing partners.

He said that EGA would continue its drive to operate on the same sound commercial principles that would enable the partners to respond positively to changing focus of government funding for agriculture at a state and federal level.

The continuing partners are already responding to the resignation with a review of strategies and investments for the future success of the business, with new initiatives planned.

“EGA has been running well as a national wheat breeding program and the evidence can be seen in the number of new varieties that have been released and the number of potential lines being evaluated,” said Mr. Rogers.

“We have developed great confidence in the teams operating through NSW Agriculture and Queensland’s DPI&F and we see a good future for these people in the new EGA,” he said.

According to Greg Fraser, EGA’s CEO, EGA would be a continuing, commercially-focused business, positioned to forge national and international alliances in response to the increasingly commercial nature of the Australian and global plant breeding industry.

“As we know from the recent independent GCA and GRDC sponsored ‘Single Vision’ for the grains industry, Australian and global agriculture is moving very rapidly from the government based structures and market intervention of the past to a more open, globally-based corporate economy where size, a global view and strategic alliances are essential for success. It is in this new, more commercial environment that plant breeders such as EGA must operate their businesses.”

“When it comes to breeding technology suppliers, EGA expects to engage several Universities, CRCs, CSIRO, Graingene and a range of international plant breeding technology suppliers.”

“Our continuing partners take the long term view of their role in the Australian plant breeding industry, with the new EGA forging both strategic and opportunistic alliances for breeding technology and access to novel germplasm on a national and international level.”

“Importantly, EGA is also committed to developing its human resources for the future, creating opportunities for breeding and technical staff.