Western Australia
October 17, 2007
The Department of
Agriculture and Food, Western Australia and the
Grains Research and Development
Corporation (GRDC) are raising the end point royalty (EPR)
for Wyalkatchem wheat to $1.75 a tonne applying from the 2008
harvest.
Department Executive Director Rob Delane said when Wyalkatchem
was first released in 2001, an initial low EPR benchmark rate of
$1.00/tonne was set.
“Since that time, end point royalties have been aligned more
closely to meet the real costs of plant breeding. The EPR rate
on most new wheat varieties is now $2.50 to $3.00/tonne,” Mr
Delane said.
“The total EPR rate (breeder portion and the variety management
fee) will be $1.92/t in Western Australia and $2.00/t for all
other States.
“The new rate is still one of the lowest EPR rates in Australia
and is well below the rate set for other new wheat varieties,”
he said.
Mr Delane said Wyalkatchem continued to provide excellent
results for growers, and remained a preferred variety.
“This popular variety makes up nearly 30 per cent of the current
Western Australian crop and is expected to account for 25 per
cent of the SA crop, based on last year’s production,” he said.
“To ensure Western Australia has wheat breeding programs that
provide better varieties as quickly as possible, it is important
that revenue from EPRs provides sufficient funding to sustain
viable breeding programs.
“The revenue generated from Wyalkatchem will continue to be
directed into Western Australia’s wheat breeding program.”
The EPR increase for Wyalkatchem would re-establish an adequate
level of funding for the breeding program that has brought
varieties like Carnamah, Calingiri, Arrino and Westonia to WA
growers.
Mr Delane said Australia’s EPR system was a world leading
commercialisation strategy which also underpinned growers’
rights to retain seed and in WA, the enabling of
farmer-to-farmer trading.
“The EPR system enables growers and breeding organisations to
share the benefits of successful varieties,” he said.
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